


Break the Chain

by spookydd



Category: Adam Driver - Fandom, Blackkklansman, Flip Zimmerman - Fandom
Genre: Aftercare, Alcohol, Body Positive, Choking, Cigarettes, F/M, Finger Fucking, Fluff, Hair Pulling, Masturbation, Mention of blood, Nurse - Freeform, Romance, Rough Sex, Slapping, Smoking, Smut, mention of dead bodies, night shift nurse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-03
Updated: 2021-02-25
Packaged: 2021-03-06 06:53:48
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 37
Words: 175,509
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25689142
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spookydd/pseuds/spookydd
Summary: You never did one night stands... Well until you met sexy lumberjack detective, Flip Zimmerman. You two can't seem to get enough of each other, and that's the exact reason why your safety is in jeopardy.
Relationships: Flip Zimmerman/Reader, Flip Zimmerman/You
Comments: 117
Kudos: 284





	1. Your Wish is My Command

“Come on, you  _ have  _ to go!” The voice came from your closet. Your friend, Jen, bless her heart, was trying to find an outfit for you. 

“You haven’t been out in ages, and you’ve been working so much overtime!! You deserve a night out!” Jen finally walked out into view with a dress in her hand. She handed it over. You sighed and grabbed it. 

“You’re going whether you like it or not. Now get dressed!” She pointed at you before she walked over to her curling iron. 

“Fine, but I’m going to complain the entire time!” You got the last word, even if Jen was blasting music now. 

You walked over to the bathroom and sighed again. Sure you needed a break, but you were thinking more of being lazy on the couch night rather than going out and drinking night. 

You looked at yourself in the mirror. All you noticed was the dark circles under your eyes. Those extra overnight shifts were taking a toll. You were a nurse at the level one trauma hospital in the county. You saw it all in the ER. Gunshot wounds to car accidents, and it seemed the patients kept coming in but not enough nurses to keep up. 

You ran your fingers through your dark, freshly curled hair (thanks to Jen) and started to get changed into the dress your loving friend picked out. 

It was a classic little black dress, but with a not so classic design. It was a strapless, skin tight dress, with the sides open. Only being held on by a criss cross of string. You were showing more than you wanted, but Jen was the decider tonight. you looked back into the mirror. 

_ you can do this. _ you recited in your mind. you could do this.... right? 

-

Jen was practically dragging you by the arm. 

“I promise you’re gonna have fun! and who knows... You might find a hottie!!” Jen squealed as she dragged you a little more. 

You two walked into the bar. 

God it sounded like a bad joke.  _ “a woman and her friend that just wanted to go home walked into a bar....” _

Jen immediately took you straight to the bartender. She needed to loosen you up and fast. 

“Two tequila shots, please!” Jen handed over her ID and debit card. “Keep the tab open!” 

You whipped your head towards her. “There’s no way you’re paying for all our drinks!” you whispered. 

“Well if we play our cards right, I won’t have to pay for any more tonight...” she held up the shot glass that was now in front of her. She was eagerly waiting for you. 

You playfully rolled your eyes and grabbed the other shot glass from the counter in front of you. 

“Cheers to you having fun.... finally!!” Jen yelled out in excitement. in unison, you licked the salt, downed the shot and bit down on a lime wedge. You felt your face scrunch with the after taste. 

There’s no going back now... 

-

_ Retrace your steps... _ Now you remembered taking shots... Then more shots. Then what? More drinks, dancing with Jen... Okay now we’re getting somewhere! 

You remembered Jen was quietly rating the men in the bar. There were only a handful of potentials in her opinion. 

That was until they came into view. 

“Holy. Shit.” Jen was biting her lip. She definitely approved. 

You were people watching. Distracted even, when Jen nudged you. 

You turned your head to follow her eyes. Two men walking towards you and Jen. 

You immediately noticed the one staring at you. Long dark hair parted in the middle. Super tall. Facial hair as he puffed on his cigarette. Was that- was that gun holsters under his arms? 

The next thing you noticed was the plaid button up, and fuck did he wear that well. Like a sexy lumberjack. 

“Hello ladies.” The man next to lumberjack said through a smile. 

“Now where did you two handsome men come from?” Jen was already using her charm. 

You still felt lumberjack staring, so you decided to look over at Jen. How was she so good at flirting?

“We were in the corner enjoying some drinks. We wanted to see if you beautiful ladies would join us.” Lumberjacks friend was reaching out for Jens hand. “I’m Ron and this is Flip” 

Ah. Lumberjack finally has a name. 

“I’m Jen.” You watched Ron and Jen walk back towards the corner of the building. 

You look back at Flip, since you two were alone. You felt so awkward! He was still staring at you. 

“So... You gonna tell me your name?” Flip’s deep voice came through his smirk. 

You laughed a little to ease the tension as you told him your name. 

“Nice to meet you. You smoke?” Flip was holding out his cigarette. 

You grabbed it and took a deep inhale, holding it for a moment, and blowing it out. You handed him back the cigarette. 

“Those are bad for you, you know.” Were you flirting? You couldn’t tell with all the damn alcohol in your system! 

You watched as Flip exhaled smoke through his nose and chuckled. It was intoxicating really. 

“You a doctor or something?” He joked as he ran his fingers through his silky hair. 

“Not exactly. I’m a nurse. You a cop or something?” You asked pointing to the gun holsters. 

“Detective actually” you watched as he put out his cigarette in the ashtray on the bar. 

“Wanna sit?” his deep voice questioned you. 

  
  


That. That was the last thing you remembered. Flashes of you two making out in the corner of the bar were coming back in pieces, but you were fully aware of what was happening now. 

You two were in some shitty bathroom stall of the bar. 

Once you guys came into the bathroom, he couldn’t keep his hands off of you. He pinned you against the wall of the stall, leaving kisses up and down your neck. 

“I’ve been watching you all night in this tight ass dress.” Chills ran down your spine as Flip was now whispering loudly in your ear. You were quickly losing yourself under his touch. 

You were running your hands all over his body and you couldn’t help but notice that you kept bumping into his guns. Sober you wouldn’t touch that with a 10 foot pole. But now? Something took over you, and you couldn’t help but feel the electricity shooting down your body from it. 

_ Get your shit together... _

  
  


You could feel his large hands run up and down your sides. His touch against your open skin from the dress felt like fire and you needed more. You grabbed a fist full of his hair yanking it a bit. You could hear a grunt from his chest. So animal-like. Ready to kill. You felt the warmth in between your legs grow. 

He stepped closer, pressing his body against yours. You felt him press his hips more and you moaned at what you felt. 

“See what that dress is doing to me?” He whispered again in your ear before licking it. 

Realizing you still had a grip on his hair, you directed his face towards yours. You stood on your toes as he knelt down. It was a sloppy make-out session sure, but that didn’t take away how good it felt. 

He lifted his hand up to one of your breasts, rubbing it in his palm. You instinctively arched your back, giving him more access. You could just feel the smirk on his face. 

You were so focused on this that you didn’t notice his other hand slipping in between your legs. You pulled away from the kiss. You simultaneously gasped and moaned as he teased your entrance. 

“Fuck...” You opened your legs, giving him more access. 

“Hmm... Good girl.” he moaned. “Fuck, you’re so ready for me.” he growled as he shoved your panties to the side and slipped his callused finger into you. 

You rolled your eyes back as you rested your head against the wall behind you. The way he was talking to you, was already pushing you close to the edge. What didn’t help is that he slipped another finger in. You grasped his shoulders, digging your fingernails into the fabric of his shirt as he went in and out. 

You were so close to finishing, which was embarrassing, but let’s be honest. Your sex life wasn’t exactly flourishing since you’ve gotten so busy. 

You were rolling your hips with his rhythm, your moans getting louder by the minute as you were approaching your climax. You could tell. He could tell. Shit who couldn’t tell?? 

That's when he slipped his fingers out. You shot your eyes towards him. You were dumb founded at what you saw. 

You watched as he licked you off his fingers. Very slowly. 

“What the hell” you groaned. “Why’d you stop?” you were starting to get irritated. 

After he finished licking the remainder of you on his fingers, he leaned his head down a bit as he stared into your eyes. 

“I don’t think i want to make you cum in a dirty place like this. Ruin such a dress? I don’t think so” it was fucking music to your ears.

  
  


  * ••



High school was always tough for you. You barely had any friends and you didn’t have any extracurricular activities. 

All the movies made it such a big deal. Big whoop. 

High school was truly overrated. prom, dating, going to parties. Things you certainly did not do. You always stayed at home, doing what any loser did. Stay up in their room and watch TV. Maybe the casual hang out with the parents. 

You always knew it would be forever until a boy saw any interest in you. And damn were you right. 

That same struggle followed you into adulthood. No guy ever showed you any sort of affection. 

  
  


That did not at all apply to this situation. 

  
  


One moment you were in the bathroom stall adjusting your panties, the next moment Flip was opening the car door for you. The entire ride he acted like a complete gentleman. Shocker, considering his actions in the previously mentioned bathroom stall. 

He made sure you were sober enough to go through with your decisions and made sure you were comfortable in his car. 

He caressed your thigh up and down with his fingers as he defocused on driving. You took this moment to look around. 

Cigarette butts. Of course. Paperwork, and lots of it. You assumed what was a police radio on the dashboard. He was pulling into a driveway by the time you could notice more. 

You and Flip mirrored each other's movements as you stepped out and shut the car door. Flip made his way around to you and rested his hand on your lower back. He led you to the front door of the house. 

_ Hm. Didn’t peg him as a porch guy. _

Shit he even had a porch swing. As good as that sounded, you had something better to ride. 

  
  


Once you were on the other side of the door you heard a lock. it was pitch dark and you were scared to move, not knowing if there was anything fragile in reach. 

Next thing you know, you felt a hand clasp around yours and carefully led you into what you assume was the living room. Flip released your hand and you stood there. 

Things came into view once Flip was standing by a now lit lamp. You were still standing in the doorway leading into the living room. Your peripheral vision told you there were paintings on the walls, the couch, next to flip and the lamp, was in front of long curtains. A window was your guess. 

“Can i get you anything?” that deep voice always caught you off guard. 

You shyly shook your head no.

It seemed like he forgot you were watching him as he bit his lip. He was staring at the dress. you could see the hunger in his eyes. You could tell he just needed a little push. 

You bent one of your legs back to reach for your heel. Once you dropped that to the ground you repeated the steps for the other side. 

You walked over to him. You stood there for a moment before grabbing his right hand. You lead his hand to the back of your torso. Flip received the message as he clasped onto the zipper. You looked into his eyes as you craned your neck. Shit this was so intimidating. You watched as the lump in his throat bobbed up and down. 

The slow zipping sound filled the room, along with your dress falling onto the floor. At that moment, your confidence gave you a kiss on the cheek before running out the door. You instinctively looked down at your toes. You were standing in your matching black bra and thong. You wanted to crawl under a rock. 

To be honest, you weren’t in the fittest shape. Some days you hated your body more than others, but you figured that was normal, but let’s just say thick thighs save lives. 

Your head was brought back up from Flip’s finger under your chin. He moved his hand to the side of your neck, grasping some of your curled hair in between his fingers. The other hand on your hip. 

This was his hold on you. 

He was still staring into your eyes. or so you thought. 

It happened so quickly. He pulled you up against his body as he crashed his lips against yours. 

Your hands went straight to his shirt buttons. As sexy he looked with it on, you needed it  _ off _ . 

Your hands were working on his buttons as he now had both hands on your round ass, and that’s when you heard music to your ears.Flip was moaning under his breath. 

You finally got the buttons undone, and Flip took a step back. He removed his gun holsters and plaid shirt. When he was done with his task, he knelt down to grab your ass while crashing his lips back onto yours. In one swift motion he picked you up. You wrapped your legs around his waist. 

Next thing you knew you two were upstairs. He led you down slowly. Once your feet were back on the floor he stepped back. 

You watched as he kicked his shoes off. 

“On the bed. Now.” he ordered. 

You bit your lip and you followed his direction. His words sent shivers down your spine as you sat on the edge of the bed. 

There he was. What seemed like the sexiest man alive was standing in front of you. 

“Take that shit off.” he growled. waving his hand over your remaining clothes.

Maybe you seemed a bit eager by how quickly you ripped them off. Once you were settled back, now fully naked. You watched him step closer to stand over you. You released a breath you didn’t know you were holding. 

He got on his knees. That’s it. You could cum off just that sight. 

He put his hand on your shoulder, and laid you down. your legs once hanging off the bed, were now around his shoulders. 

Even though you had your eyes closed, you knew that bastard was smirking again. 

His callused finger teased your entrance again that night. 

“Hmm... So wet already...” 

Before you could react, he was rubbing away at your clit.

Your back arched as you moaned  _ “Fuck” _

Flip quickened his pace as he was leaving kisses along your inner thigh. 

Your skin flushed as you felt yourself creeping back towards your climax again. 

“F-Flip...” you whimpered. 

He took that as his signal. He let your legs fall off his shoulders as he stood back up. 

“Turn around.” he ordered once again. 

It didn’t take long to follow his orders. You lifted your head to look at the headboard. You were trying to imagine what he looked like. 

The sounds that came behind your body told you that he took his remaining clothes off. His hands started at your ass.

You moaned as he lightly slapped your right cheek. He was testing your limits. 

Your moan gave him the go ahead to slap a little harder. Which of course caused you to moan a little louder. your head dropped against the mattress when he went again. 

A little harder. You were scrunching the sheets between your hands. 

He grunted as he slapped you again. hard. 

He grunted loudly again when he heard your loud moans slip out of your lips. 

“Hmmm... That’s right. I wanna hear you.” he growled. He tapped you on the legs. “On your knees” he ordered. 

Once you followed his direction, he carefully caressed your cheek where he was hitting. Tracing the outlines of his hand with his fingers. When he was done he had both hands gripping at your hips, getting you in position. You arched your back. You were dripping wet. 

You felt your eyes roll back when he finally slipped his cock inside of you. He had his set rhythm when his right hand released your hip and went straight to your head. His fingers locked into your hair and pulled. Your head was yanked back which caused you to moan. Very loudly might you add. 

This snapped something in Flip. He slammed into you harder as he yanked your hair again.

“Fuck!” you shouted as you arched your back more. If you went any farther you would snap your body in half. 

“This pussy is so tight...” Flip released his left hand from your hip to slap your ass again. He wasn’t testing the waters this time. 

“I'm not gonna stop until I have you screaming” he slapped you again. 

Your eyes rolled back as you moaned “I don't want you to stop!” 

Flip released his grip on your hair. His left hand found its way back to your hip, while his right hand was shoving your head into the mattress. His left hand was keeping your hips up. This made him hit your walls from a different angle. 

You moved your head just in time so your ear was facing the mattress. You opened your eyes and loved what you saw. 

Flip had a mirror mounted on his wall. The little light that was in the room was enough to show the silhouettes of your bodys slapping together. 

Seeing this along with hearing your skin slapping caused you to moan loudly again. You were approaching your edge. 

Out of the corner of your eye, you watched as flip followed your gaze. 

“F-Fuck... You like that? Watching me fuck you? Answer me.” The rhythm of his hips were starting to get sloppy. He, like you, was close. 

“Yes!!” you gripped the sheets under your hands again. 

His hand shoved your head a little harder into the mattress. 

“C-Cum for me.” he stuttered. 

_ Your wish is my command. _


	2. I'm not letting you leave again

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back!! Are y'all ready for chapter 2?! Hopefully it does the first chapter justice! I tried my hardest to wait a full week until posting the next chapter, but I got impatient! Let me know what you guys think!! I love comments and knowing where your head is at!! Lastly, I just wanna thank you for taking the time to read my story! I really didn't think anyone would give it the time of day! 
> 
> P.S. mention of blood in this chapter! 
> 
> Here we go...

Perks of working night shift: 

  1. Shift differential on your paycheck 
  2. Being able to sneak away from a one night stand. 



Three weeks went by since your little get together with Flip, but that didn’t stop you from thinking about him every day since. 

Idiot. 

Yes it was your first one night stand. Yes it was your first time cumming in a… well a very long time, and yes Flip was the sexiest guy you’ve ever been with. So you cut yourself some slack. If you thought about him and your little get together, you figured it wouldn’t cause any harm. I mean what are the chances of you seeing him again?

  
  


You were at work trying to document on your patients when your mind wandered to that night again.

  
  
  
  


You could see the switch between him. Aggressive and rough during sex, but a complete gentlemen after, and that right there was dangerous for your well being. He was too good to be true. 

You two were catching your breath laying on his bed. A few moments passed before he pulled you towards him. Your back to his chest. 

_ Was it normal to cuddle after a one night stand? _ One of many questions you’ve been asking yourself these last few weeks... 

You felt his hand caress your ass ever so softly. Your heart melted when you figured out what he was doing. He was trying to soothe where he was once slapping you. Hard, as you remembered.

“You said you’re a nurse right?” his deep voice cut through the silence. 

“Yeah.” you said softly. Your mind was focused on his hand. He was caressing your hips now. 

“Where do you work?” his beard scratched at your shoulder as he spoke. 

“I work nights in the ER down at John’s Memorial.” his hands were now running up and down your arm. You hated that your body reacted with chills. 

You listened as he went on about how that's usually where him and his detective buddies get sent off for work. Either when injured or when on the clock.    
  
“Usually we get checked out if we get hurt or we have to be one on one with suspects. We have to guard victims in certain situations.” you could feel his breath hitting your ear and how it caused you to get chills again. 

“I would remember seeing you though.” his arm was now around your waist. 

“How do you know?” you were feeling risky, and genuinely curious. 

“Because.” he paused to yawn. “We would have done this a lot sooner.” 

You thanked God that he couldn’t see your face. You could imagine your face was turning the color of a tomato. His response still echoes in your mind. 

You felt his jaw hit your shoulder as he yawned again. It wasn’t long until sleep overcame him. You of course were wide awake. 

When his soft snores filled the room, you took this as your cue to ever so lightly get out of his grip. Which was apparently tight. It took a few minutes to successfully get out from his hold without waking him up. The rest was easy. Find your clothes, call an uber and head home. The only obstacle that got in your way was walking out the door. 

You contemplated leaving your number for a while.

You decided not to do it of course. You had no clue how this worked! It was a one night stand for a reason. You would never see him again, and for all you know, he would be okay with that. 

  
  
  
  


You came back to reality when your team leader, Walter walked up to you. 

“Hey you got a minute? We need stitches on the hall bed next to triage. All the residents are busy, can you do it?” he was looking down at his clipboard figuring out what needs to get done next. 

“Needs a tetanus shot too.” he continued.

“Sure thing, boss man. I’ll head over there now.” you saved your documentation and stood up from your chair. 

“Good thing. That patient specifically requested you.” 

You watched as Walter was already walking away from you. You were taken aback at his statement, but quickly shook it off. It was probably a frequent flyer that you’ve taken care of before. 

You grabbed a suture kit and some supplies to clean a wound from the supply closet, got the tetanus shot from the med room and headed to your destination. 

You shot a smile at some of the nurses you haven’t seen in awhile before you stopped dead in your tracks.  _ This isn’t happening… _

You finally got the courage to walk up to your patient. 

“There she is.” Flip’s familiar voice broke the silence between you two. You watched as he flashed a smile to you. God he looked so good.

Jackass. 

  
  


He was sitting on the edge of the bed with his long jeaned legs hanging over. His cowboy boots easily touched the ground. You immediately noticed a plaid button up sitting next to him on the bed. He was in a white tank top. Your eyes shot towards his left forearm. It was wrapped up in bloody gauze. 

You set your supplies on the bed next to him and walked to a nearby sink a few feet away from him. 

“What happened?” you questioned as you washed your hands. 

“I was making an arrest, and the guy had a rusty knife. I don’t think he liked me very much.” You could tell he was watching your every move. This was confirmed when you turned around drying your hands. He was  _ definitely  _ checking you out. I guess your scrubs had the same effect as that black dress. 

When you walked back towards him, you rolled a chair and sat down in front of him. Your foot was searching under the bed. You pressed a pedal and the bed lowered. You tugged a bedside table in front of you, pulled a sheet over it, and guided his arm to lie on top of it. You put your gloves on and got to work. 

  
“I’m going to clean it and then numb it.” you felt his eyes follow your every step. 

You bit your lip as you worked. You honestly thought you would never see this man again. Yet here he is sitting in front of you. You thought about that night with him for so long. You always regretted not giving him your number. What would have happened if you did? 

Every single day you thought about him. Sure you thought about the sex. Oh god the sex. You found yourself reimagining it on your days off… When you’re all alone… It honestly got the job done. It got you off, and it never got old. It got to a point where you exhausted yourself by rubbing out your sexual tension for that night. 

It was the other stuff too though. Him opening up the car door for you, his hand on your thigh on the drive to his place, him caressing your bottom. You thought about it all. the. time. And you wondered… Did he think about it too? 

You imagined a man like that could get any girl he wanted. Charming them left and right... Of course he didn’t think about you. Don’t be ridiculous. 

“How is it?” it was a few minutes before Flip broke the silence. 

“It could have been a lot worse, but it’s not that bad.” you took your dirty gloves off and traded them for clean ones once you started stitching him up. 

“Well at least my night turned around for the better.” 

You stopped what you were doing to look up at him. He was staring down at you with a smirk on his face. Of course. 

“What makes you say that?” you replied. You looked back down and continued what you were doing. 

“I got to see you.” 

Silence. That was all you could offer. Well that and blushing. Which he of course saw and chuckled. 

“Looks like your night got better too.” 

You looked up at him and playfully rolled your eyes as you took your gloves off. 

“You’re all patched up. I’m gonna give you your tetanus shot.” you didn’t want to acknowledge him flirting with you. Was that even happening? 

You grabbed a new set of gloves and an alcohol swab. You measured out his deltoid muscle and  _ holy shit.  _ I guess you never noticed his muscles before...

He playfully winced as you gave him the shot. You slapped a bandaid on where the needle once was. 

You watched as he grabbed his plaid button up and snake his arms through it. He simultaneously stood up, and threw his arms back as he finished putting on his shirt. He watched you as he buttoned up his shirt. He knew he was hot dammit. Your thoughts were interrupted as he now had a smirk on his face.

“Don’t I get something for being a trooper?” He joked. 

You laughed to yourself as you gathered the trash. “You want a sticker or something?” 

“Not exactly…” He took a step towards you which made you stop what you were doing. He looked down into your eyes intensely. 

“Then what?” your voice came out lower than you expected as you strained your neck to look back at him. 

“How about your number?” He sat down on the edge of the bed again. He had one leg on either side of you, trapping you. 

“I’m not letting you leave again…” he crossed his arms, avoiding the stitches you just placed in his arm. “Not without getting it.” 

You crossed your arms mimicking him. “Flip, seriously?” 

You felt your breathing stop again as he leaned in. 

“Dead serious.” Another smirk was plastered on his face. 

You took a deep breath and rolled your eyes. Playfully of course. “Fine, but only because you requested me specifically.” 

“For that reason alone? Not because of anything else?” he said through a laugh. He was still leaning in towards you. 

“That alone.” you smiled at him. He watched you carefully as you searched for a sharpie in your pocket. 

You pulled out a highlighter… no 

Penlight… no 

Expo marker… no 

Ah finally. Of course it would be the last fucking thing you grabbed. You uncapped your sharpie and grabbed his right hand. You carefully wrote your name and number across his palm. 

“Happy?” You were putting your never ending supplies back into your pocket. 

You watched as he looked down at his palm. It almost looked like he was smiling to himself. 

“Yeah, actually.” He stood up again. Jesus you always forgot how tall he was. He ran his hand through his hair. You wanted to kick yourself because you could feel yourself blushing. 

“I uh- I gotta get back to work…” you took a step back and turned your body, ready to walk off. Before you headed back to your computer you turned your head back towards him. His eyes didn’t leave you. 

“My night got better too...” you trailed off and walked back to your computer. You didn’t know if you felt nauseous or on top of the world as you sat back down to document. Your mind wandering again.

  
  


7:15 AM finally came around. Your 12 hour shift was finally over. The hours after your encounter with Flip went by quickly. You had to help out with a couple of trauma cases, but other than patching your one night stand up, your night was like any other night. 

You were waiting for the elevator when you heard your name being called. You looked over to the right to see Lauren, another nurse in the ER. 

“Hey, how was your night?” you asked as she took off her name badge and put it in her tote bag. 

“Crazy as always, but you know that's normal around here.” 

Lauren was the type of woman that intimidated you. Long blonde hair that was perfectly curled, makeup done, and fitted scrubs. Yet here you stand next to her. Sure your scrubs were fitted along with hers, but you didn’t nearly look as good as her. Your hair up in a messy ponytail, with a bare face. 

“Hey, I wanted to ask you! How was that guy next to triage? The guy you were stitching up?” you two both walked into the elevator when the doors slid open. You hit the ground level button as you felt your heart drop into your ass. Maybe it was a palpitation? Dehydration? 

“He got cut up pretty bad, but he’ll live.” you kept your eyes forward. You didn’t want to look at her. 

“He was actually my patient before he talked to Walter. Did he mention why he wanted a change?” 

God dammit.

You turned your head to look over at her. “Uh, no he didn’t”

“Damn… He was hot too! I was considering asking him out when he got discharged!” You heard her angelic laugh echo in the elevator. You held back an eye roll. 

You felt the elevator come to a stop. Thank christ. 

“Next time I guess.” You flashed a smile to her. “I’ll see you next week!” You sped walked out when the doors slid open again. Jesus could that elevator ride lasted any longer? 

You walked down a few halls before walking out the front door of the hospital. The humid air slapped you with a wave of sleepiness as you walked towards the parking garage. 

When you were nice and settled in your car, you felt a buzz coming from one of your scrub pockets. You sighed as you pulled your phone out of your pocket. 

An unknown number, but you knew who it was from. 

_ “Meet me at Charlie's Diner on Henderson in 20 minutes. A thank you for last night.”  _

You looked up from your phone and into the rear view mirror. The tired in your eyes were screaming back at you.  _ This is as good as I’m gonna get... _ You sighed and put your car in reverse. 

15 minutes later and you were putting your car in park. You looked through your windshield. Charlie’s was on a secluded road. It was the only thing in view on the road for about a mile or two. There were steps leading up to the stainless steel building, with a neon sign lit up in one of the windows. Your gaze was averted when you saw a red and white Chevrolet truck pull in next to you. You immediately spotted Flip’s plaid button up. You couldn’t help but shake your head with a laugh. 

Flip made eye contact with you and got out of his truck, you grabbed your bag before getting out. You threw the strap around your arm and looked up to Flip already standing in front of you.

He flashed you a smile. “Hey” he put his hand on your lower back. He led you towards the front door of the diner. From there you guys were seated in a booth next to a window. 

Your attention was stolen by a waitress walking up to the table. “Flip! My favorite customer! How are you?” Mary, from the name badge on her apron, flashed him a smile. The gray in her hair told you she was maybe in her late 50’s. 

“I’m doing better now, Mary. It’s good to see you.” You watched as Flip smiled back at her. 

“Aren’t you going to introduce me to your friend here?” Mary joked as she was now shooting you a smile. 

Flip laughed and told her your name. “She’s a nurse down at John’s Memorial. She took care of me last night.” Flip was now looking at you. Well staring it felt like. He always looked at you so intensely. Why did he have to be so fucking intimidating all the time?

“Nice to meet you.” You looked up at her, but her attention was back to Flip. 

“What happened? Are you okay, dear?” concern filled her voice as she stepped closer to him. She watched as Flip rolled up his sleeve to reveal your work done on his forearm. She gasped and threw her hands on her cheeks. 

“Oh my god! Are you alright? That looks painful!” She went to reach for his arm, but decided not to last minute. 

“Ah, come on now, I’m alright. I had a good nurse.” Flip flashed you that award winning smile along with a wink. 

You didn’t know what to do, so you looked up at Mary again. 

“It looks worse than it is. Should take a few weeks to fully heal.” You tucked a loose piece of hair that fell from your ponytail behind your ear. Mary looked back over to you. 

“Flip was very lucky to have you. Thank you for taking care of him.” She smiled down at you. 

You felt Flip’s gaze burning into your head. Mary sensed it too as she looked over at him. You watched as she smiled in a certain way. Like she knew a secret or something. 

“Well anyways… What can I get y’all to drink?” 

You heard Flip before you could answer. “Coffee and water for the both of us.” 

Damn. He took the words right out of your mouth. 


	3. I intend to

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AHHHH!! Here is chapter 3 you guys! I know my posting schedule is shit, so bare with me please! Thank you for taking the time for coming back and reading my story!

“How was the rest of your night?” Flips voice echoed as he lifted his coffee cup up to his mouth. 

You were defocused on watching your coffee change colors as you stirred in some milk. “Had a few trauma’s, but nothing out of the ordinary, really.” you stifled a yawn before taking a sip of your own coffee. “How's the arm?” you questioned when you put your cup down. You looked up at him with your tired eyes. 

“It’s a little painful, but it’s not the end of the world.” he chuckled. You watched as his mustache curled up with his smile. 

“You look tired.” you could see the bags under his eyes as you studied his face.

“I could say the same thing about you.” You two laughed at this. 

You tried to imagine that he stayed up the rest of the night. Maybe he was trying to figure out what to text you? Trying to find an excuse to see you again? 

Damn. Your imagination was really running wild right now, wasn’t it? 

“Hey, I have an excuse!” You laughed again, tucking that loose hair back behind your ear again. 

“Well thank you for coming, I know you’d rather be asleep right now.” 

Oh yes. His statement was very true, but even though your imagination was running wild, it was true. You wanted any and every excuse to see him. I mean who would want to miss their chance at seeing this beautiful creature again? 

“Oh trust me, I’m going to pass out when I get home.” You sipped your coffee again. “You should consider yourself lucky that I’m here.” You looked up at him with a smile. 

You wanted to flirt, but you were honestly too tired to tell if it was coming out that way. You watched as Flip smirked over to you, a piece of hair hovering over his forehead. Guess it did come out that way. Nice. 

“I’m a lucky man indeed.” It sounded like his voice got a tad deeper. That familiar music to your ears. 

You were fidgeting with your fingers under the table. You defocused on the moving trees outside the window when your mind went back to the elevator at work. 

Lauren. Wanting to ask Flip out… Your head was doing circles. You couldn’t help but wonder if Flip would have agreed to see her. What if you couldn’t have done his stitches? Would you still be at breakfast with him or would your seat be preoccupied by a beautiful blonde? 

Your thoughts were halted by the noise of a lighter clicking. You were unaware of the pressure on your lip from biting it. You gained the ability to look over at Flip, trying not to imagine him flirting with Lauren. Cigarette smoke coming out through his nose. He ran his hand through his hair trying to comb that loose piece. 

You took another sip of your coffee. You felt the warmth slide down your chest. You put your cup down when Flip looked back over to you. 

“How long have you been a nurse?” he flicked some ashes off his cigarette into an ashtray. You watched as the ashes fell sloppily. 

“It’ll be 6 years in March, and 3 years since I’ve been in the ER.” You could feel your eyes starting to get heavy as your eyes went blurry staring at the ashtray. You took another sip of coffee. 

“Did you always want to be a nurse?” Flip was watching your every move. He knew you were tired, but you sensed that he was trying to keep you awake with the questions. You took a deep breath and looked back at him, snapping out of it. 

“Um, actually no. I didn’t know what I wanted to do for a long time.” you watched as he took another puff. Exhaling it through his nose again. “It wasn’t until I saw how the nurses treated my dad during his last days. It changed everything for me.” 

A wrinkle between Flip’s eyebrow formed. “I’m sorry about your dad.” He watched as you waved your hand in the air for a moment. Waving the sentence away. 

“It was years ago… but what about you?” you smiled towards him. “Other than getting slashed up, how’s detective work? Is it like the TV shows?” You leaned a little closer awaiting his answer. 

You heard a chuckle come from his chest. You were like a kid in a candy store. 

“Honestly? I love it. I’ve always wanted to be a detective since I was a kid. The system is flawed, yes, but I can do my part to make it a little better.” He took another puff from his cigarette. “and no. It’s not like the shows at all.” You watched his mouth curl up into a smile, moving the moles on his face. 

You two were interrupted by Mary with a coffee pot in her hands. “Can I get you two a refill?” 

Flip looked over to you. You shook your head and smiled up at her. “Not if I want to go to sleep. Thank you though!” 

“Can we get the ticket, Mary?” Flip lifted off his seat to reach for his wallet in his back pocket. 

You two both watched Mary as she shook her head. “Nonsense. It’s on the house!” 

Flip wanted to argue with her, you could tell, but Mary pointed her finger at Flip to stop him. She put her finger back down. “My favorite customer, and the nurse that saved his life last night. It’s the least I could do!” She looked over to you. “Thank you again for helping him. He needs someone to look out for him, ya know?” 

You looked over at Flip, smiling like an idiot. “You get in a lot of trouble I assume.” 

The three of you laughed. You watched as Flip nodded his head at your statement. “All the time.” 

“Promise me you’ll look out for him.” Mary still had a smile on her face, but you could tell she was more serious now. 

You nodded your head and smiled back at her to ease her nerves. “Of course.” 

She put the coffee pot down on the table and grabbed your hand. She squeezed it for a moment before letting it go. “Thank you.” She still had worry in her eyes. She looked back over to Flip and raised her eyebrow. “I like her… you should keep her around.” She was now grabbing Flip’s hand. You tried to stop blushing as you watched him squeeze her hand now. 

“I intend to.” Flip’s gaze found its way to you now. He stared at you intently again. You felt like you were shrinking in your seat. 

“Good, now get her home, she deserves some rest!” At this, Mary picked the coffee pot back up and walked past a door that led to the kitchen. 

Flip lifted his butt of his seat and reached for his wallet again. He settled back into his chair while grabbing a five dollar bill and placed it on the table next to his coffee cup. He stuffed his wallet back into his pocket once he stood up. You grabbed your bag and stood up alongside him. You felt his familiar touch on your lower back leading you back outside and in front of your car. You took an extra step to lean against your car, with Flip standing directly in front of you. 

You looked up into his eyes. They were a mixture of brown and green, depending on the lighting. You watched as his throat bobbed up and down before he took a step closer to you. 

You wanted to say his name, but you were cut off. Flip trapped your body in between his and your car. He had his hands on either side of your neck, as his lips crashed into yours. It all happened so fast, you couldn’t keep up at first. Your hands instinctively wrapped around him as you met his pace, finally. You couldn’t help the soft moan that slipped from your throat. The noise that slipped out caused Flip to deepen the kiss and press his body against yours more. 

You were honestly shocked he was kissing you right now. I mean sure you could tell he was flirting with you at work and during breakfast, but you just assumed that was his natural charm.

You moved one of your hands up to his head as you tangled your fingers in his wavy dark hair. He stroked your cheek with his thumb. If it wasn’t for your ADHD, you two would have stayed there for hours. You broke the kiss as a car pulled into the parking lot. You figured no one wanted to see such a hot makeout session this early in the morning. Especially since they couldn’t feel the growing pressure coming from Flip’s jeans. He kept his body close to yours to hide it, but looked down at you. Still stroking your cheek, he smiled down at you. 

His lips were red and irritated from the kiss, and you assumed yours were too. The only difference was that he had a mustache to cover his up. You didn’t. 

You bit your lip as you released your grip from his hair. Flip followed your actions as he released his grip on your neck, but slid his hands down your sides. His hands stopped and found a place to rest on your hips. He never lost contact with you. He quietly hummed to himself. 

“Do you work tonight?” He stared down at you. He was so intense, it almost seemed like he was constantly pissed off. 

“No, I’m actually meeting up with my friend tonight. The one you met at the bar-” 

“-Jen, right?” ding ding ding! Brownie points for remembering your best friend's name. 

You couldn’t help but smile. “That’s the one.” You felt as Flip’s grip on your hips got a little stronger, bringing you closer to him. Which you didn’t think was even possible. 

“What about you?” you watched as he shook his head a little. 

“Ah, I got a shit load of paperwork waiting for me on my desk I gotta take care of.” You watched his throat bob up and down again. “I’ll see you soon though.” It sounded like a question more than a statement.

You nodded your head. He flashed you a quick smile before releasing his grip on you. He took a few steps back, still looking at you, before walking away to his truck. You took a deep breath and got into your car. Geez. After the night and morning you had, you definitely needed a nap. 

When you finally got home, you stepped into a hot shower. Your mind went over the events over the last 14 hours. It felt like so much happened for that short amount of time. You sewed your one night stand together, he hit on you at work, had coffee with him, and he kissed you. Things you never thought would happen in a million years. You tried to push the thoughts about Lauren to the back of your head, but it just kept coming up. You knew you shouldn’t dwell on it, since you were the one with his tongue down your throat not that long ago… Your anxiety wouldn’t let you have the win, I guess. 

You inhaled the steam that was left in the bathroom as you turned off the water. You stepped out and wrapped a towel around yourself. Even after that coffee, you could feel the sleepiness coming up fast. You finished drying yourself, brushing out your hair and threw on a large t-shirt. You felt the bed shake as you literally threw yourself on the bed. You closed your eyes and all you saw was Flip outside of the diner as you faded into sleep. 

  
  
  


“Ah!! I missed you so much!!” Jen was running up to your front door with a box in her hand. You knew exactly what it was. Six bottles of wine. You haven’t seen her since that night at the bar. You two have been so busy that you didn’t even know what happened with her and Ron. The more bottles, the more catching up you guys had to do. 

She wrapped her arms around you when she walked through the front door you were holding open for her. “I have SO much to tell you! Did the food come?” She was already uncorking the bottle of wine. 

“Yeah,” you laughed. “Came right before you did.” You locked the front door and walked over to her. She handed you a glass that was almost to the rim with wine “Woah! Are you trying to get me drunk?” You contradicted yourself as you took a few gulps. 

She laughed as she grabbed the delivery food and her own glass walking to the living room, you followed her with the bottle of wine. You knew you were gonna need it. Once you sat down, she started opening the food. 

“Are you gonna tell me about that night or what?” you questioned. You could see her face light up. 

“You mean after you disappeared with Flip into the bathroom?” She was now squealing. You couldn’t help but roll your eyes and laugh at her.

“You first!” You grabbed a box of chinese food, and started eating. You patiently waited for her response. 

“Girl… That was the best sex I’ve had…  _ ever. _ ” You watched as she rolled her head back and scrunched her hair with her fingers. 

“Oh god.” You laughed and took another sip. You could feel the buzz creeping up on you already. “Did you spend the night with him?” 

“Of course! We wore ourselves out that night, and we passed out. We had a good morning too!” She was grinning ear to ear. It's been awhile since you saw her this happy. 

“I gave him my number, and we’ve been talking every day since. We have a date tomorrow actually!” She held out her wine glass, you laughed and lifted yours up to hers. “Cheers!” 

A few moments of quiet passed as you two took a couple of bites to eat. She looked up at you with curiosity in her eyes. 

“You know, Flip asks Ron about you all the time…” She trailed off to watch your reaction. Your reaction of course was blushing and stopping mid bite. 

“Uh, really?” You could feel the heat in your cheeks. The alcohol wasn’t helping at all. 

“Yeah! Did you not leave your number with him?!” you could tell she was about to lecture you. 

“I didn’t, but-” 

  
Jen cut you off by groaning your name. “You guys hit it off immediately that night! Do I need to give it to him for you?!” You could tell the wine was getting to her too. She was talking with her hands. 

“Uh, actually he has it already…” You watched as her face visibly showed she was confused. She tried to figure out what she missed. 

“He came into the ER last night…” You explained the events you had last night and this morning. Her face now had a big ass smirk. 

“You bitch! How long were you gonna wait to tell me?” She threw a fortune cookie in your direction. 

“I told you, didn’t I?!” you laughed as you dodged the cookie even though her aim was horrible. You both laughed in unison. When the laughing died down you looked back at her. 

“What would he ask Ron?” you didn’t want to pry, but you couldn’t help but be curious. I mean you did spend every waking moment for three weeks thinking about this man. You just wanted to know if he did the same…

“Well the first time, he wanted to know if you got home safely. You dumb bitch left while he was sleeping?!” she sighed as she rolled her eyes. 

Yes, it wasn’t your finest moment… “Moving on.” you waved your hand in the air.

“After that, he would just ask how you were, if you were seeing anyone… shit like that.” She took another bite of her food. “Of course Ron had to ask me to get the answers.” 

You were silent trying to process this information. Flip asked if you were seeing anyone. I mean that right there proved your theory wrong. He actually did think about you during those three weeks. You always thought you had a connection with him that night, like Jen said, but you didn’t know if you were overthinking everything. You had a tendency to do that. 

“So he just grabbed you and kissed you this morning?” Jen put her fork down and had a twinkle in her eyes. She always loved cute shit like that. You took a deep breath, replaying it in your head. You nodded your head before you took a couple more sips of your wine. 

  
  


The rest of the night you and Jen caught up on everything else. You two would usually have these hang outs, and then go weeks without seeing each other. Perks of living busy lives. You two always found your way back to each other though. 

You vented about patient’s that stuck with you, coworkers that annoyed you, and just being tired in general. You listened as she complained about her boss constantly getting on her ass, her intern that couldn’t make a copy to save his life, and how she had corporate coming the next week, so she was running around doing shit left and right to make everything presentable. Once you guys were done with the venting, you decided to open another bottle of wine and put on a movie. 

An hour or two went by and you heard your phone go off in the kitchen. You looked over to the couch next to you. Jen was sound asleep. You put your glass on the coffee table and stood up. You made your way to the kitchen to grab your phone. It was 12 AM and you got a text message. The same unknown number from that morning. 

  
  


I guess it was time to save his number to your phone. 

  
  
  


_ “Dinner next Thursday. I’ll pick you up.”  _


	4. Fuck it

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whats that I smell? A shit posting schedule?? Yeah that sounds about right... I couldn't wait for you guys to read chapter 4, so I'm posting early! Think of it as an early birthday present ;)
> 
> p.s. i'm really proud of this chapter, so i hope i don't let you guys down with this! let me know if you want more like this in the future!
> 
> Enjoy! -Dal

Flip was having a drink with his partner, Ron, after a particularly long night. It was a long shift of staking out an abandoned building in the outskirts of downtown. It was mostly them being frustrated in a quiet car behind some bushes. They were so close to closing their case, yet the guy kept outsmarting them and getting away. 

Flip and Ron sipped on some whiskey trying to drink their frustration away when you caught his attention. 

There you were in that little black dress, taking shots with your friend. He watched as your face twisted with the taste of whatever was in the shotglass. 

“They’re cute.” Ron’s sentence tore his eyes away from you. Flip looked over to Ron, who was looking in the direction you were. He nodded his head, agreeing with him, but the truth was, he didn’t even take his eyes off of you long enough to see what your friend looked like. 

Flip sunk back into his seat as he lit a cigarette, eyes landing on you again. He felt his nose burn as he exhaled the smoke. You were leaning across the bar now. The dress sliding up  _ just a little _ curving around your ass. He took another inhale of his cigarette. You already had another drink in your hand, courtesy of some creep at the bar, also watching you. 

Flip knew it didn’t look good that he was staring, but he couldn’t help himself. That dress. Seemed like it was hypnotizing him. Another drink was handed to you from another creep. Flip was now at the edge of his seat. Watching the drink, making sure it wasn’t tainted in any way. He took another deep puff of his cigarette. 

He watched as you danced with your friend when the song changed. You got a couple people at the bar, including the bartender, to sing along with you and your friend. It was entertaining, really. 

A few more minutes went by and Flip was lighting another cigarette.

“Lets go talk to them.” Ron, breaking his attention again. Flip nodded his head and followed him. Flip kept his gaze directly on you. He watched as your friend nudged you to get your attention. He was once again hypnotized by your hair falling behind your shoulders as you turned your head in his direction. 

“Hello ladies.” Flip heard next to him. 

He could tell he was making you nervous. You looked away towards your friend, watching her interact with Ron. A few moments passed and it was just you and him. You made eye contact with him again. 

He watched as the corners of your mouth turned with a laugh. Your name effortlessly falling off your lips. That’s when Flip decided. No more sulking about work. It was going to be a good night. 

You two ended up back in the corner where Flip and Ron originated. Your friend with Ron, and you with him. Flip loved hearing your laugh. It was intoxicating watching your head fall back, as your hair grazed his hand on your lower back. 

Flip watched as a loose strand of your hair fell out of place from your other curls. He reached out to tuck it back to place, when he couldn’t stop himself. He carefully grabbed a fistfull of your hair and crashed his lips into yours. Flip grabbed your hip and pulled you closer to him as you kissed him back. 

Flip was losing himself, and it was happening quickly. 

“Come on.” He whispered in your ear. He grabbed your hand and led you to the bathroom. He couldn’t think of anything else. He needed his hands all over you, and he needed it now. 

Flip was getting frustrated again, but this time it wasn’t about work. He was watching you unravel on his hand in a disgusting place like this. 

No, that wasn’t going to work with him. 

He watched your annoyance when he pulled his hand away. He knew you would forgive him soon enough. 

“You feeling okay? Do you need some water?” he looked down at you adjusting your panties. When you gave him the go ahead to go to his place, he grabbed your hand and led you outside to his truck. He opened the door and watched you struggle getting up in your heels. He guided your hips into the seat to help you out, as he smirked to himself. 

On the drive up to Flip’s, he ran his fingers up and down your thigh as he drove the familiar way home. From his peripherals, he noticed you looking around. 

But there you two were. Standing in the living room.

Flip wasn’t sure how strong he should come on. Things were slightly different now. You two were sobering up, so his courage was quickly going away. 

Alast… he picked a good one. You led his hand to the back of your dress. 

The sight of you naked… he could look at you all night like this. He took a moment to take everything in as you looked down to your feet. Your curves were his favorite part, and he could tell you had a hard time seeing that. He lifted your head and grabbed your hair and hip. He could feel the pressure in his jeans already, fuck. But what really got him going was when he found you looking in the mirror as he fucked you. Flip’s grunts grew animalistic as his skin slapped yours. 

He really wore himself out. With working double shifts, getting chewed out by his chief, and fucking this beautiful woman? His eyes grew heavy. He brought you closer to him. He rubbed his hand along your ass, making sure he soothed the areas where he was being so aggressive with. 

Hmm… she really was a good girl. She handled it so well. 

He tried to stay awake. He really did, but he was losing the war. He settled his head on her shoulder, like it was always meant to be there. 

The next morning he found an empty bed. Just like that, she was gone. Nonexistent. He gave her the benefit of the doubt that she would leave her number. 

Email. 

Something. 

Some type of way to keep in contact with her. He desperately hoped. He felt embarrassed when he checked every room and found nothing. 

Later that morning he sat at his desk at work. Ron was 20 minutes late, and it wasn’t like him. Flip’s leg couldn’t stop shaking. He knew his only chance at finding her was through Ron. When his partner finally walked in, he sat next to Flip during a debriefing. 

“Everything alright?” Flip whispered over to Ron. Flip could see Ron smiling to himself in the corner of his eyes. Guess he had a better morning than he did. 

“Yeah.” Ron whispered back.

Flip was annoyed. Annoyed that this debriefing was going on this long. Annoyed that he didn’t have as good of a morning as his partner. Annoyed that he had to wait to ask Ron.

It wasn’t until the end of the day that Flip got his answer. 

“Yeah, I don’t even know if she made it home...” 

Flip knew Ron’s companion from the night before could shed some light on the situation. She did of course. The one that got away, was home safely. He guessed that made it a tad better. 

It was the next week when Flip asked Ron about you again. The two men were staking out yet another abandoned building that was leading nowhere. Ron sparked up the conversation. He came clean about keeping in contact with Jen. Flip could tell he didn’t want to bring it up, considering his situation. He was trying to be a good friend. 

Sure Flip had some one night stands here and there. The girls he slept with couldn’t keep up in the bedroom, always left their number, wanted to stay until after breakfast, and continually tried to hook up. This one was different, and that was sucking him in. She was the complete opposite of what he experienced in the past. She was gone without a trace, and he needed more. 

He got to thinking. Maybe you had a boyfriend? Maybe felt guilty about cheating? That was the most logical explanation. So what did he decide to do? Ask his buddy again. He soon found out that no, she was in fact single. Which made it that much harder to move on. 

The next week, Flip was still thinking about her, but he had to be careful. It was okay to think about their encounter at home, but in public? See that’s where it became dangerous. His need for release was happening more often, and that night was the only thing that could do the trick anymore. What the fuck was happening to him? 

The following week is when Flip and Ron got a big lead in the case. One of the abandoned buildings that they were always sitting on? You know, where nothing ever happened? Yeah that changed pretty quickly. They got word that there was going to be an intimate exchange at one of the places Flip and Ron were familiar with. 

  
Flip and Ron were ready. Even though it was going to be a small bust, it was an opportunity to gather intel on the main boss. It was the win they desperately needed. They were working on this case for months, and there was so much riding on it.    
  


Abigor Kronos. The Demon of War. Stupid fucking name. 

That son of a bitch was who they were after. An arms dealer that was considered a serial killer, if you wanted to get technical. Left destruction everywhere he went. Also left  _ at least _ 5 bodies for them to find. Every one of them had a carved ‘X’ on their chest right above their heart. That was his signature. Fucking idiot. 

Long story short, they didn’t get the win they needed. Not only did the guy get away from arrest, but he also managed to cut Flip up in the process. 

“You sure you don’t want me to stay?” Ron was looking outside his car window. He dropped Flip off at the ER. John’s Memorial ER to be exact. 

“No. I’ll call you when they discharge me. See you later.” He watched as Ron nodded his head and drove away. 

No. He needed to do this alone. 

Lauren. 

God he wanted to roll his eyes, but she wouldn’t leave him alone long enough to do so. She also wouldn’t shut up. 

He didn’t think it was very professional that she was obviously flirting. Bad at it too. He had to ask for a glass of water to finally get her away. He stopped a man in scrubs walking down the hall with a clipboard. Seemed good enough. 

Walter was very understanding of the change of assignment Flip requested. 

“I’ll have to see if she has a minute to do your stitches. I’ll get back with you okay?” 

Even if she couldn’t do it, he knew he would try to find her anyways. At least they were in the same building. So he made a pact with himself. He wasn’t leaving until he got what he came for. Well other than the stitches. 

He bounced his leg as he waited. Seemed like forever, but it wasn’t long until he saw that dark hair that he thought about for so long. 

“There she is.” He couldn’t help but smile. 

See this is why he liked you. Not only did you look amazing in that skin tight dress, but you also looked amazing in those scrubs. He might or might not have a kink for that… 

He also liked how you kept it professional. You made sure to get your shit done. 

You bit your lip when you were focused. Flip made a note in his mind to remember that. It was entertaining to watch. He found it cute when you blushed when he obviously was hitting on you. You were flirting back, but it was nothing like that nurse from before. He already forgot her name.

Just like that, he got your number. Three long weeks. He looked down at his palm and smiled. He really couldn’t help it! 

“My night got better too…” he just about melted in that hospital bed when he heard you. He watched as you left, but this time he was actually awake to experience it. 

He got dropped off at home an hour later by Ron. He was racking his brain, thinking. He needed an excuse to see her again. He paced back and forth in his living room… where she took off that damn dress. 

_ “Stay focused, dammit.” _

He could kick himself. It took him hours to finally think of something and get the courage to send the message. He was really cutting it close by the time he sent it. He knew you would be tired after a long shift. He was preparing to set himself up for failure. 

But again, he picked a good one. He found you in the car sitting next to him at Charlie’s. He led you up to the front door of the diner. Mary walked up as soon as you two were seated. Of course Mary knew something was up. He could tell by that sly smile on her face. Flip never brought anyone here other than Ron. 

  
  
  


He could see that you were tired. You were being greedy with that cup of coffee, and he watched as your eyes grew heavy. He felt selfish, really. Here he was trying to get as much of you as he could, when all you wanted to do was sleep. 

But this one kept surprising him. 

“You look tired.” She was telling him! He couldn’t believe it. 

He watched as you looked outside the window, biting your lip. He could tell you were either falling asleep right there or overthinking about something. He lit his cigarette as he watched you. When you refocused he decided to ask a question. He had the need to ask about you. Get to know you, which again was dangerous for him. The more he learned about you, the more the need for you grew. Your eyes lit up when you asked about his job. Flip carefully watched you, as he thought that was the cutest thing ever. 

In his peripherals, Mary was walking back up to the table. She was so worried about Flip all the time, and for a good reason. She saw him as her own, so she couldn’t take anything with a grain of salt. 

“Promise me you’ll look out for him.” He was honestly shocked. Why did Mary think she could ask her a thing like that? What really shocked him though, was your response. 

“Of course.” echoed in his ears. That meant he would be seeing her again, right? That's the only thing he took away from that. 

When he led you outside his mind wouldn’t stay focused on one thing. Flashes of the night at the bar and last night at the ER burned into his memory. That short dress… your face when you’re focused… the fact that you chose coffee with him instead of sleeping? 

He couldn’t control himself when he lunged himself towards you. He knew he was coming on strong again, but once again, you proved him wrong when you kissed him back. He pressed your body against his, which caused a moan to slip out of your mouth. Fuck he was getting hard already. 

He was really close to taking you in the bed of his truck. Hearing your skin slap against his again while you were moaning just for him? He could die a happy man. He stroked your cheek with his thumb as you were yanking on his hair. 

The kiss ended just like that. He could tear that driver a new one for interrupting them. He kept his body against yours. He wanted to get as much of you as he could. When he watched your mouth curl into that smile he liked so much he pulled your hips harder against him. 

“I’ll see you soon though.” He wanted to slap himself. It came out more desperate than it intended too. Truthfully, he was, but he didn’t want to freak her out. He wanted to kiss you all over again when you agreed. He kept his eyes on you before heading to his truck. He didn’t know when he would see you next, which honestly scared him. 

Later that night, he found himself once again pacing in his living room with a cigarette in his hand. He was rusty at the whole dating thing. Was that even what this was? God he hoped so. 

He had a feeling you felt the same about him, but it was still eating at him that you left that night without a trace. He couldn’t help but think that you did that on purpose. Maybe you weren’t interested in him like that? Maybe you had coffee with him because you felt sorry for him? He took a long puff from his cigarette. This was gonna be difficult. 

He picked up and put down his phone about a million times. He was never this indecisive. He sighed and picked up his phone once again. If he didn’t send it now, then he would never send it, which means he would never see you again. 

He didn’t want that. 

He took another puff of his cigarette as he typed away on his phone.  _ “Dinner next Thursday. I’ll pick you up.”  _

He rubbed his eye as he took another puff of his cigarette. 

“Fuck it.” he said to himself. He hit send. 


	5. Mine and only mine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm literally the worst with my posting schedule, but i'm sure you guys aren't complaining! here is chapter 5!!!! i'm sure everyone has been waiting for it!! but just a warning, there is smut in this chapter (finally, right???) 
> 
> p.s. reading your guys' reactions gets me inspired to write, so keep it up ;)
> 
> y'all ready? hope so...  
> -dal

You hated waiting. It was one of your weakest attributes, really. You always told yourself that you needed to be patient. Good things came to those who wait. That was the saying right? 

Good things indeed. 

Flip  _ finally  _ slipped his cock into your folds after what seemed like forever. He covered your mouth with his hand. It was probably a good idea to shut you up. 

You two were in the back of the evidence room at his police station. 

Rewind to earlier that night. 

Your dinner date with Flip was in an hour, and you were just about ready. You smoothed out the dress Jen let you borrow from her closet. It was yet another black dress. This time it was a long sleeved form-fitting dress that went down to about your mid thighs. You ran your fingers through your freshly curled hair, and touched up your mascara one last time before settling on your look. You walked over to the living room to put on your heels. 

You settled on the couch until you would hear from Flip. You tapped your finger against your thigh nervously when you heard a buzzing coming from your phone. Flip was calling. 

“Hello?” you answered.

_ “Hey.”  _ Flip’s voice caused your stomach to drop. 

“Almost here?” 

_ “Yeah, about that… I have to get a rain check on dinner.”  _

“Is everything alright?” You hoped you were doing a good job of hiding your disappointment. 

_ “Something came up in one of our cases, and the chief is calling everyone in. It’s unavoidable.” _

You didn’t say anything. You actually didn’t know what to say. 

_ “I’m sorry. I was looking forward to dinner.”  _

“Hey it happens.” 

_ “If it makes you feel any better, we’re drowning in paperwork.”  _ you could hear his smile through the phone.

“It actually does.” you laughed.

_ “Glad to hear it.”  _ he laughed back.  _ “We will find another time, I promise.”  _

“Have a good night, Flip.” okay that time the disappointment wasn’t hidden. Oops. 

You hung up the phone and took a deep breath. Now what? You picked your phone back up and called Jen. 

_ “I swear to God, Toby, just get it done- Hello?”  _ guess that answers your question.

“Are you at work?” you asked anyway. 

_ “Yeah. Gotta stay late. What’s up, boo?”  _ you could hear Jen shuffling through paperwork. Shit it made you think you needed to join the fun. You filled her in about your previous phone call. She herself was disappointed. 

“I mean that can’t be good. Cancelling the first date?” you sighed. Was it even a first date? 

_ “Oh my God, shut up! If you wanna see him so bad, why don’t you bring dinner to him? I bet he’ll be too busy to eat anyways.”  _

You mentally agreed with her. Flip’s dinner would probably consist of coffee and cigarettes if it was up to him. 

“You think so? I don’t want to bother him if he’s super busy.” 

_ “Yeah I would do the same for Ron if i wasn’t dealing with Toby’s dumbass.”  _ This made the both of you laugh. You thanked her for the advice and hung up. 

An hour later you were standing at the front door of the station with a bag of to-go food in your hands. You ended up getting food from the restaurant you two were originally going to eat. You had no clue what Flip liked, so you got what any guy would get. Steak. That’s the safest bet. 

When you walked in, the secretary greeted you. 

“Can I help you?” Carly, by her name plack, seemed confused. I mean you would be too if someone walked in all dressed up with food in their hands. 

“Uh… Yeah… I’m looking for Flip… I don’t know his last name…” You said the last part almost in a whisper. It was sort of embarrassing. You watched as Carly flashed a smile to you, like everything started making sense. 

“I’m guessing you’re the hot date he had tonight! Come on, I’ll walk you to his desk!” She got up from behind her desk and walked over to a set of glass double doors. She held one of them open for you. You walked in and waited for her guidance. Your face was still red from blushing. Guess he was disappointed about the date(?) getting cancelled too.

You followed her through a couple more doors until you turned into a room. About a dozen desks that had a literal mountain of paperwork. Every detective in that room radiated stress. Your eyes shot towards the only plaid shirt in the room. Sitting in front of Ron. He was facing away from you, but you knew it was him. 

“Flip, you got a visitor.” Carly practically yelled it for the entire room to hear. Stupid bitch. Right when you were starting to like her. 

You watched as Flip slowly turned his chair towards her direction. You could see the confusion in his face when he finally turned 180 degrees. Of course everyone was waiting to see what he would do. Guess he didn’t get a lot of visitors. When his eyes landed on you and his brain finally comprehended who you were, he stood up and walked over to you. 

“Hey” he leaned in and gave a quick peck on your cheek. You could hear Ron yell  _ “Awww!” _ in the background. You watched as Flip smiled and waved his hand towards Ron, dismissing him.

“What are you doing here?” he questioned. You hoped and prayed he wasn’t upset with you just showing up like this. You handed him one of the bags in your hand. 

“I figured I would bring dinner to you… Well us and Ron.” Ron jumped out of his chair at this and jogged over. 

“Dinner? For me?” you could hear the excitement in his voice, which made you laugh. You grabbed one of the meals from the other bag left in your hand and handed it to him.

“Courtesy of Jen, since she’s also busy.” you watched as he did a little dance back to his desk. You looked back at Flip. 

“Is that okay?” you questioned. You couldn’t read his face. Was he happy? Mad? What is up with this guy?!   
  


You watched his blank face turn into a smile. He put his hand on your lower back. “Of course it is. Let's go somewhere more private.” He led you out of the room and down the long hallway, which led to an elevator. 

“This was a great idea… I can’t believe I didn’t think of it.” Flip pressed a button. Lower level. 

“We can eat in the evidence room. No one ever goes in there.” 

You honestly thought you guys were just going to eat at his desk and you would leave after, but he was making it more intimate. You had butterflies in your stomach. When you guys stepped off the elevator he led you down a dark and creepy hallway. He took his hand away from your lower back to open the door at the end of the hall. He reached around the door frame to switch the light on. You stepped in as the light flickered. You looked around to see rows and rows of shelves loaded with boxes with dates written on them. You felt overwhelmed just looking at everything. 

Flip took a few steps in front of you to walk to a round table to the left. He removed some of the boxes off the table and set the bags of food on the table, carefully unloading them. When he was done setting up the food, he scooted a chair out, and held his hand out in the air in your direction. You blushed and grabbed his hand as he led you to the chair. When you sat down, he pulled the chair closer to the table. You watched as he walked around to the chair next to him and sat next to you. 

It seemed like you two forgot the situation you were in. Even though you were the only ones in that room, you also felt like you were the only people in the world. 

“I can’t believe I almost missed out on this.” Flip was cutting his steak, when he looked up at you. “Thank you again for this.” 

“I figured if I didn’t bring you something, you wouldn’t eat.” You flashed a smile at him as you took a bite of your salad.

“I mean you’re not wrong.” you watched as his throat bobbed up and down with a chuckle. 

“I did promise Mary I would look out for you…” you took a sip of water as you watched his reaction. Was he… blushing? 

“Glad to see you’re keeping your promise.” He smirked over to you. 

It wasn’t long until you two finished eating. 

You caught Flip’s eyes wandering to your crossed legs next to the table. You followed his gaze onto your own thighs. The dress, of course, got shorter in the chair. You looked back up to Flip, who was still in a staring contest with your bare skin. His, what you assumed dirty, thoughts were interrupted when you stood up. You took a deep breath before slowly walking over to him. You set your hand on his shoulder as you slid yourself into his lap. 

You never saw yourself sitting on  _ anyone’s  _ lap in a million years. You hoped to God you weren’t crushing him. You held your breath, as if that was going to fix anything. 

His eyes glanced between your lips and eyes when you were settled. The pressure from his jeans was growing against your thigh. You tangled one of your hands in between his long dark hair and your nerves grew anxious.

You watched his face carefully. Watching for any sort of clue that told you he wanted you to stop. That clue never showed, of course. 

That was your go ahead to lean in and slowly place your lips against his. He kissed you back softly. His hands instinctively went around your full hips, pulling you closer, the warmth between your legs already sparked. It wasn’t long until the kiss deepened into something with more passion and lust. He gripped your hips hard, spinning you so that you were straddling him. 

“Fuck” He groaned as he pulled away from the kiss. He yanked your hair to one side of your head to kiss your neck, sending shivers down your spine. You softly moaned, now locking both hands into his hair, pulling him closer to you. 

You felt as one of his hands snaked his way in between your legs. You heard a grunt originate in his chest when he realized you weren’t wearing any panties. 

“Hm… Always ready for me I see.” 

You smirked at his reaction. Yes you were hoping to get some action tonight, and yes, it was bold of you to expect it… Yet here you were... 

Of course, your smirk was quickly cut off by loud moans leaving your mouth as his thumb started doing fast circles around your clit. He pulled away from your neck to kiss your mouth again, quieting you. 

When you started grinding against his hand, he became reckless. He pulled away from the kiss and yanked you up, picking you up in one swift motion. You instinctively wrapped your legs around his waist, desperately holding on to him. You felt his hands gripping your ass once he started walking. You looked back to see that he was taking you to the back of the evidence room. He stood for a moment trying to decide where to take you. 

He settled on some stacked boxes that perfectly aligned his pelvis on one of the many rows of shelves. He settled your bottom on it and lifted your dress just above your hips. He began to draw quick circles on your clit again. You bit your lip trying to suppress the loud moans creeping up on you again.Your eyes shot at Flip’s other hand. He was in the process of unzipping his jeans, and palming himself. His panting grew quick as he matched the speed of his thumb. You rolled your head back against the metal shelf that sent chills down your entire body. 

“You like when I touch myself?” Flip’s voice got a tad darker, which caused a moan to slip out of your throat. 

“ _ Fuck.  _ Look at me.” he ordered. You snapped your head back and stared back at his dark eyes. 

“Only you do this to me. You understand?” His thumb lost contact with your clit and went up towards your mouth. He didn’t even have to ask as you held your mouth open to receive his thumb. You sucked the juices off as his other hand gained speed. 

“Such a good girl.” He smirked. You felt his thumb out being yanked out of your mouth. He now had both hands working at his jeans. He slipped his pants down a little past his hips, as his long length sprung free. 

_ Shit.  _ You needed him  _ now _ , and you didn’t want to wait. His hand found your mouth as he slipped into your folds. Your eyes rolled back as he slowly pushed his length all the way in, a grunt coming from his chest. 

“Be quiet.” He ordered as he took his hand off of your mouth. He began thrusting his hips, while he put a hand around your throat. You could tell he was testing the waters again as he barely had a grip. When you felt a spark at the base of your abdomen you bit your lip and let a loud moan slip. This caused him to grip tighter on your throat. A punishment and reward at the same time. He started pumping faster, and you could feel the shelf behind you shaking, very loudly at that. 

The thought of someone walking in and finding you two like this flashed in your mind. You knew it probably wouldn’t look good for him, but shit it seemed so hot. It also seemed to contract your ridges, as he moaned  _ “Fuck” _

The cold metal hitting the back of your neck as you rolled your head back onto the shelf as his grip got a little tighter. 

“Hm… my girl.” He whispered in your ear. You could feel the pressure in your lower abdomen grow as that sent shivers down your spine. You then felt the pressure around your neck loosen right as you were starting to see spots. He knew your limits apparently. 

He grunted and slipped his cock out. “Turn around.” He ordered. By the tone of his voice, you didn’t want to keep him waiting. It seemed like he needed this release just as much as you did. You followed his orders and gripped your hands around the boxes that were just supporting your bottom. You felt one of his hands pull at your hip to bring you closer to him, while the other one lowered your shoulders. This caused your back to arch. 

He wasn’t hesitant when he slipped his cock into you again. He wasn’t shy anymore. The noise of quick slapping skin echoed in the room, as he lifted you up by your throat, bringing your ear next to his mouth. His grip on your throat was tight once again. 

_ “aaahhgg” _ was all that you managed to get out. You didn’t know what you were trying to do. Moan? Get him to go harder? Tighten around your throat?

All of the above. 

“Hmm… this pussy is mine, and only mine.” he gripped your throat tighter, pressing your back against his chest.

“Say it.” He relieved the pressure on your throat. You simultaneously moaned and coughed at the same time. He thrusted his hips harder. “I can’t hear you.” 

“ _ Fuck!  _ This pussy is yours.” you squeezed the boxes harder. They were starting to bend under your grip. 

His thrusts were becoming sloppy. Your moans joining them. 

“Be a good girl and cum for me.” 

You threw your head back against his shoulder as you felt your walls spasm. You could tell he was trying to let you have your moment, but the sight of you was making himself unravel along with you. You could feel his hot load start to fill you up. 

When he caught his breath, he slipped out of you and stuffed himself back into his jeans. You were leaning against the boxes trying to compose yourself when you felt him adjust your dress and grab your hips, as he turned you around. You looked up at him as he ran his fingers through your hair, combing the sex out of it. He then started examining your neck. 

“You okay?” he questioned. He lightly traced the red marks from his previous grip. 

When you didn’t answer him, he started rubbing his thumb under your eye. You guessed your mascara was running. 

You watched as he worked. There was that switch in him again. Taking care of you. You couldn’t help it. You brought your lips to his. This time the kiss was soft. He lightly placed his hand over your hair, pulling you closer to him. 

You pulled away when you two were both smiling. “Yeah, I’m good.” You felt as his arms wrapped around your waist. “I should probably go… You’ve been away for a long time.” You couldn’t help but smirk at him. 

He looked down at you with that blank expression again. That piece of hair falling stray from the others. He nodded his head.

“Hmm… I guess.” He unwrapped his arms from your waist and grabbed your hand, taking you back up to the front of the room. You helped gather the trash and took the elevator back up. He gave a quick peck on your lips before you two went your separate ways.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i just wanted to let you guys know that i love you so much and thank you for supporting my story!  
> see you next time!


	6. Leaving his mark

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M SO READY FOR YOU GUYS TO READ THIS CHAPTER!! I usually am really picky about my writing and I never think it is good, but i'm really proud of this chapter! WARNING: There is smut VERY EARLY in this one (my inspiration song was Apartment by Bobi Andonov, so feel free to listen while you read!! also.... is that??? plot i smell?? just slightly!! 
> 
> p.s. i got my first tik tok referencing my fan fic, and i literally rewatch it at least 3 times a day! if you guys decide to do the same, make sure you tag my tik tok (spookydal) so i can see it and rewatch them all the time!! ;)
> 
> enjoy you guys!  
> -dal

It’s funny how much your senses are heightened when you’re in a dark room. 

You felt your hair tickle your bare back when you threw your head towards the ceiling. The next thing you felt was Flip’s large hands caressing your hips. His skin sparking the heat between you two, setting your skin on fire. The only thing you could hear were the soft pants coming from the both of you. His hands made its way to your chest as he cupped both of your full breasts. You softly moaned as you rocked your hips. You bit your lip trying to suppress your own moans to listen to his. 

_ “F-Fuck.”  _ it was music to your ears when you knew he was enjoying this just as much as you were. You ran your hands up and down his arms as they were still kneading your breasts. You wanted to throw a fit when he released his grip. His hands once again found its way to your hips. His fingers pressed hard as he thrusted his own hips up. You slipped a loud moan as you felt him hit your cervix. It was a pleasurable pain that you didn’t want to ever stop. 

You rolled your head back when he settled his hips back against the mattress, one hand still on your hip, and the other snuck in between your folds. His thumb made quick circles around your clit as you rode him. 

You swore to yourself you were going to stay quiet to listen to him. His deep voice stuttering curse words while you rode him? You would pay money to have that shit play on repeat. But you were quickly breaking your silent agreement, and fast. Your moans were getting louder the more his thumb worked. Damn him. 

The hand on your hip made its way to your hair, tangling his fingers gently. “Hmm… Flip…” you bit your lip. You could feel his grip growing tighter in your hair, sharply yanking your head back as he grunted. You looked up towards the ceiling as your eyes tried to focus. You were trying to work with what little light you had. 

“Hmm… My girl.” He groaned. His thumb working a little faster on your little bundle of nerves. His sentence echoed in your ears as you picked your pace up on his hips. Your head was yanked back once more. Now your silent agreement with yourself was down the drain. You couldn’t stop yourself from moaning as you squeezed your eyes tight.

Him calling you his girl made you lose your senses. Literally. 

You found your back hitting the mattress, as you didn’t feel him flip you over onto the bed. He quickly gathered both your wrists above your head under his right hand. His left lifting your legs onto his shoulders. The little light that came through behind your black out curtains showed you everything you needed to see. Flip was looking down, watching his cock slide in and out of you, as he took control. 

“Shit.” Flip groaned. The view must have been good. Seeing him unravel caused you to do the same. You felt the grip around your wrists grow tighter as you arched your back. His left hand was pushing your thighs back towards your chest, making him hit your cervix again. 

“Flip!” You loudly moaned. His eyes were still glued, fixated on watching him take you. Watching this made your eyes roll back. 

“Such a good girl…” He trailed off. His voice getting darker. You felt as your wrists were released from his grip. His new hold on you was now your throat. He held onto your throat tightly as his rhythm gained speed. 

You tried to moan, but it was trapped in your esophagus under his hand. Your hands went to the arm grabbing your throat, caressing them up and down. You didn’t want him to let go. 

You looked up at him as his new gaze was now your face. Your mouth was gaping open, desperately trying to get air in, but enjoying it too much. This caused him to grunt while thrusting his hips a little harder. 

“You like that?” his voice was dark as he tightened his fingers around your throat. You tried to nod your head but his hand prevented it. Your head was getting fuzzy while black dots were forming in your vision. Flip released his grip as you were drifting off. The sudden increase of oxygen hitting your brain jolted you awake. His hand snaked its way to your clit again. 

“I want to hear you.” He ordered. His thumb circling away once again. You followed his command as you bucked your hips up to gather more friction. You would do anything he wanted. Especially if it meant it was going to feel this good. 

Your hands met his shoulders, as you were sinking your nails in. You moaned loudly as he circled your clit faster

“My girl…” He moaned again. “I want to hear you scream.” His mouth was next to your ear as he let your legs fall off his shoulder to lean in. He worked faster at your clit as he was now biting your shoulder. He was going to leave his mark on you, but only somewhere you could see. Claiming you as in fact, his girl. 

Your body followed his orders as you raised your voice. You could feel his smirk with each bite he took. 

“Flip!” You screamed. You were trying to warn him that you were close, but that was all you could manage to get out. 

He was getting to know your body pretty well, so he picked up the pace, even though his rhythm was growing sloppy. You felt every muscle in your body tense up as your vision grew fuzzy. You heard low deep grunts in your ear as you felt Flip cum inside of you, filling you up. 

It was a few minutes until he pulled out and lied next to you. When you regathered your senses you felt Flip’s long arm snaking around your hip, pulling you closer to his chest, facing him. He planted a kiss on your forehead and you curled up to his warmth.

“You still want to go to the movies?” He ran his hand up and down your back. You closed your eyes, still trying to cool down. You still couldn’t speak, so you settled on nodding your head. 

It was your first time seeing Flip since you brought dinner and had your little adventure in the evidence room about a week ago. Patient census sky rocketed, so you picked up a bunch, working 12 hour shifts, 9 nights in a row. The case Flip was working on was “fucking him in the ass” as he so lovingly put it. You two spent what little free time you had, texting and talking on the phone. You planned a night together the first moment you had a day off. 

He pulled you into him a little closer as you yawned. Lying in bed with Flip was starting to seem more appealing than sitting in a movie theater. 

“You’re not going to make it through the movie.” he said through a laugh. You could feel the smile shining down at you. You responded by curling into his chest a little more. It was just  _ so  _ comfortable!

He gave you a few minutes of holding you, while you drifted off into a light sleep. You could die happy in that moment. 

“Hey! Don’t go to sleep!” you felt a playful slap on your bottom, which caused your eyes to shoot open. 

“I’m awake!” you laughed through the lie. You in fact, were not going to make it through the movie. 

You heard him softly say your name. You looked up at his face. Blank expression again. You shook your head as you watched his throat bob up and down.

You got out of his grip and got out of your bed, dragging one of the covers around your body. You knew he was staring at you and your confidence once again kissed you goodbye. You walked through the entrance of the bathroom and turned on the shower. “See! I’m awake!” you shouted over the water. Maybe a shower would wake you up? You could at least try.

You heard the creaking of the floor as Flip followed you into the bathroom. He stood over you as you strained your neck to look up at him. You felt as he wrapped his arms around your waist, pulling you closer to him once again. The warmth from his skin immediately made you sleepy again. Fuck, you needed caffiene. 

You watched as his eyes averted to your shoulder. A smile formed as he leaned down to gently kiss your shoulder. 

“Hmm… I think I want you to show this off tonight...” He kissed your shoulder once again. You twisted your face in confusion. You loosened his grip, not fully getting out from his hold, and leaned over to the mirror. 

You saw bruises starting to form where he bit you not that long ago. You laughed as you rolled your eyes as you fully got out of his grip now. You dropped the cover on the bathroom floor and stepped into the shower, leaving him alone. You let the hot water wash over your aching muscles, washing the sex away. Again you heard the creaking of the floor before the shower curtain was shot open. You rubbed the water out of your eyes to see Flip now getting in the shower with you, shutting the curtain behind him and blocking the water from hitting your skin.

You made sure you noticed how big he was in the shower. He was easily towering over you as his hair started soaking up water. You watched as he leaned his head back, hands running through his hair, slicking everything back. He went back to his task that he started outside of the shower, and wrapped his arms around your waist once again. Pulling you closer to him, warming you up since he was stealing the shower stream. 

His eyes were studying your face as he lifted his hands to move your hair behind your shoulders. You were watching him when he carefully bunched your hair into a ponytail underneath the grip of his right hand, tugging it softly. Just enough for your chin to be lifted towards the ceiling. His left hand was holding your jaw, keeping your head in place. You could feel your heart beating faster through your chest. His chest slowly rising and falling.

“Flip.” it came out in a whisper. You felt like you were being slowly picked apart by his eyes. 

It all happened in one swift motion. Flip released his hold on your head and lifted you up, pinning you against the shower tile. The cold tile sent shivers throughout your entire body. One hand keeping you up by holding your ass, the other was holding your jaw once again. He crashed his lips against yours. You moaned against his lips after you kissed him back. His tongue circling around yours, you felt him release his hold on your jaw and snake his hand in between your bodies to aim his length at your entrance. His hips quickly snapping against yours when he succeeded at his task. 

You felt your back moving up and down against the cold tile as Flip kept up his quick rhythm. His teeth skimming over your body again. 

“F-Fuck” he moaned as your lips were torn apart from each other. Your fingers tangled in his wet head of hair, pulling slightly, as he hit your cervix again. You felt your eyes roll back as you rested your head against the tile behind you. You tried moaning, you really did, but the pleasure you were receiving was too much. Your mouth was open, speechless and trying to catch your breath. 

The bathroom was filled with sounds of your skin slapping and Flip grunting. His mouth met your ear breathing heavily, sending shivers down your spine. “I don’t know what I missed more…” He licked your ear. “You or this tight pussy.” 

“Fuck!” you weren’t speechless anymore. You felt your fingernails scratching up and down his back as his hips snapped harder against you. 

“I couldn’t stop thinking about us in that evidence room… You were such a good girl.” He grunted loudly in your ear. “Being quiet while I fucked you.” He bit your ear lobe. His hips started to get an unsteady rhythm. “F-Fuck! That’s my girl.” He stuttered. You felt his hand grip on your ass when you felt your cunt spasming around him. “So. Good.” He moaned between thrusts. He rode out his final shock waves while directing your mouth towards him again. Your lips hummed against his as you were coming down from your high. 

When the two of you caught your breath, you released your grip on his hair as he set your feet back on the ground. 

The rest of the shower went longer than you expected, but you weren’t complaining. He would leave gentle kisses around your shoulder, kissing around his mark on you. You two took turns washing the sex out of your hair and bodies off of each other. The thing that took most of the time was when his lips wouldn’t leave yours, making out. By the time you two were finished, all of your fingers were basically prunes. 

You two were drying off when his phone was ringing back in your bedroom. He sighed as he wrapped a towel around his waist. You heard footsteps leading towards your bedroom. A few moments passed until you heard Flip’s voice coming from your room.

“Zimmerman... Hey, what’s up, Ron?... No, I’m busy… It’s my night off… What do you mean?... You can’t be serious... Are you sure?” 

You were brushing out your hair when Flip walked into the bathroom again, this time the phone at his ear. 

“Okay… I’ll be right there, just give me a little to head over there… Okay bye.” You watched as Flip tapped on his phone to end the phone call. He set his phone on the counter. 

“Everything okay?” You set your brush down, soaking the rest of the water out of your hair with your towel. 

You watched him trying to gather the right words. 

“Abigor Kronos… The guy we’ve been chasing… is in custody… for a traffic ticket. Some street cop brought him in for a busted tail light…” 

You put your towel down, and watched his face. It seemed like his thoughts were going a mile a minute trying to comprehend what just happened. 

“What does that mean?” you watched as he grabbed your towel and dry his hair out. 

“I have no clue… Ron and I are going to interview him when we head in. We have to get ready.” 

You looked at him confused. “We? I’m going with you?” you questioned. 

“Of course, we had plans.” Flip was borrowing your comb for his hair. 

  
  
  


30 minutes later and you two arrived at the station. Flip had his hand on your lower back as he led you to his desk. You looked up at him when he didn’t say anything. He was distracted looking the other direction. You followed his eyes towards the open door leading out to the hall. The window shades were open, and giving you a full view of two men in expensive suits walking down the hall, locking eyes on Flip. 

You watched as the men stared Flip down, almost with a smirk on their face. One of the men had a sharp jawline and pitch dark hair. The other was an older man, with graying hair. You watched as the younger one adjusted his red tie as his eyes now met yours. You could see his bushy eyebrows form a wrinkle in between them, thinking. This guy gave you an unsettling feeling in your gut, and Flip seemed to have the same feeling. Your view of the guy was blocked by Flip stepping in front of you. 

“Stay here and don’t leave. It shouldn’t take long.” You watched as his throat bobbed up and down as he spoke. “Carly will keep you company while I’m gone.” You bit your lip, feeling anxious. You had a feeling Flip was going to follow those men. You nodded your head, not wanting to speak. He looked down at you, trying to smile, but you could tell his mind was preoccupied. 

“How about dinner when we’re done, yeah?” he was now looking over to Ron, who was now by his side. You nodded your head again and watched as Flip leaned in to kiss your cheek. Ron flashed you a smile before the two of them walked out the room, and followed the direction of the two suits. 

“Hey, how are you doing?!” Carly’s voice filled your ears as you sat down, still starting out the door frame when they were long gone. You snapped out of it and looked over to her, smiling. 

\--

Shouldn’t take long my ass. You were sitting at Flip’s desk for almost two hours with Carly, and fuck can that woman talk your ear off. Nothing she was saying was getting through to you anyways. You knew you weren’t going to make the movie. You couldn’t stop thinking about how hungry you were, and how sore your muscles were. Round two in the shower certainly didn’t help either situation. Your mind was wandering off, opening Flip’s drawers trying to find a cigarette. Of course you found one, that man chain smoked like a chimney. 

You needed something to ease the pain. Not only of your sore muscles, but of your mind. You kept thinking about Flip and how out of it he looked before he walked off with Ron. You took a deep breath before lighting the cigarette. You nodded your head and puffed on the cigarette every so often as Carly talked on and on about her husband not cleaning or watching the kids enough for her to have alone time. 

You stood up, interrupting her, when you saw Flip and Ron walking besides the two suited men. Only this time, a man around in his 30’s in a plaid suit and a clean shaven face joined them. You noticed a mole on his face. They exchanged a few words you couldn’t make out. All 5 men looked in your direction a couple seconds longer than you liked. The man with the beard said a few words and looked back over to Flip. You watched as the man outlined in ‘X’ over his own chest. You didn’t like that at all. You watched as the suited men smirked over in your direction and walked off. 

Carly looked over and saw Flip heading your direction. She stood up and smiled. “I’ll see you later, friend!” the clicking of her heels followed her as she left. 

You watched as Ron stopped Flip before they entered the room. Ron was trying to talk to him, when Flip walked off, cutting him off. Flip stood in front of you while Ron caught up to him. 

“Y’all have a good night now.” You watched as Ron picked up his jacket from his desk and waved before he headed out. 

Flip’s eyes went directly to the cigarette that was in your hand. You watched as a wrinkle formed between his eyebrows. You giggled at this and handed it to him. “I’m  _ starving _ !” you whined. You watched as he laughed and put his free hand on your lower back. 

“Me too. Let’s go.” He led you back towards the front of the building. 

You glanced at Flip as you two were walking. He was taking a long drag from the cigarette as his eyes were glancing around like he was checking his surroundings. 

You could tell he wasn’t telling you something. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> love you guys with all my heart. you're always so sweet in the comments and on my edits on tik tok... stay safe you guys, and until next time!


	7. It's my duty

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay... I'm not going to lie. I really hate this chapter, and I'm so so so sorry if you guys don't like it :( please don't hesitate to give me criticism on this one!! I mentioned on my tik tok (spookydal) that my work schedule is going to be kinda shit/hectic the next week or two, so I wanted to post this one early... I low key wanted to post it too so I can post the next couple of chapters already lol. They are definitely better!! 
> 
> Anyways!! I hope you enjoy this shitty chapter!! I LOVE YOU GUYS WILL ALL OF MY HEART!! I've gotten so much love on this, which literally makes me so giddy!! I've also gotten so many comments about how you guys love how I portray Flip in this story... which... that's just an honor... anyways. I'll shut up and let you guys read ;)
> 
> -Dal

God this man was going to be the end of you. You barely made it back to your place after dinner before he had his hands all over you. Again. At least he made sure to lock the door behind him. 

When he turned towards you after locking your door, he crashed his lips onto yours, gripping the sides of your neck. He blindly led you towards the kitchen, as the counter hit your back. It was the first surface you came in contact with, which was good enough. He pulled away for a second, unbuttoning one of his infamous plaid shirts. 

“Take your clothes off.” he ordered. His voice was deeper than the last time you heard it. 

You mirrored his actions as you both got naked in the kitchen, throwing items of clothing everywhere. Your mind was busy though. You still felt that uneasy feeling from those suited men staring at you. You know he did too, but he refused to talk about it when you brought it up multiple times during dinner. 

His lips crashed into yours again, pushing you into the counter, causing the edge to push into your lower back. You quietly gasped… or was it a moan?

His hands were caressing your bare body up and down as your mind was slowly being yanked away from your worry, sending chills across your body. You didn’t feel right though. You could tell something was off with him, as if he was still carrying his worry. His shoulders were tense, and you could tell he just needed a release. You bit his lip, causing him to inhale his breath sharply, pulling away from the kiss.

You two were staring at each other. You strained your neck trying to keep eye contact with him as long as you could. Your hands slid up his arms and stopped at his shoulders. You held your breath as you slowly changed positions with him. Flip’s back now leaning against the counter, and you standing in front of him. He looked down at you as you sat on your knees. His pulsating length close to your face. His hand reached to your face, his thumb rubbing your cheek sweetly. Your eyes still on him as you ran your tongue across his cock up and down the base slowly. His breath hitched as his hand was now tangling in your hair. You closed your eyes as your mouth was taking him entirely. 

Flip’s grip on your hair tightened as he grunted, yanking your head back slightly. “Look at me.” You felt yourself melting at his words. Your right hand shot in between your legs. You opened your eyes up towards him, as you were now rubbing your clit with your middle finger. 

You watched as Flip bit his lip as your head bobbed up and down on his cock. His breath sporadic as he gripped your hair tighter, yanking your head along with your strokes, pushing his length further down your throat, making you gag a bit. 

“Taking all of me like a good girl.” he moaned. He continued to guide your head up and down while pulling your hair, quickening the pace. There's that pleasurable pain that you liked so much. You sped up your middle finger on your clit, keeping up. You watched as he tilted his head enough to see you fingering yourself, which caused him to moan again. 

“Such a dirty girl…” he bit his lip again, as his head rolled back.  _ “Fuck.” _ he murmured. You moaned against his cock as your lips were going numb, along with your scalp. Flip yanked your head back hard, yanking his length out of his mouth, causing a mixture of spit and his precum to spill out of your mouth. 

“Stand up.” he ordered as he still had a grip on your hair. When you were standing in front of him, you slipped your middle finger in your mouth, sucking. You watched as he licked his lips and released your hair. 

_ “Fuck.”  _ he moaned again. He picked you up in one swift motion, each hand gripping your full hips, as he propped your bottom up on the counter. Your back leaned against the cabinet behind you. His hand snaked between your legs, slipping his length between your folds. He snapped his hips as you moaned sharply. His rhythm was already quick, further proving to you, that he needed to let off some steam. Your right hand gripped the corner of the counter next to your bottom, trying to stabilize yourself. 

Flip leaned in, biting your neck. Hard. You moaned as your left hand grabbed the back of his neck, pulling him closer to you. “Fuck, you feel so good, Flip.” you moaned loudly in his ear. This caused him to yank your hips closer to his pelvis, hitting your cervix with each thrust. You moaned loudly, as you now felt the cabinets shaking behind your head. You wrapped your legs around his waist, pulling him a little closer, causing him to hit your cervix a little harder. 

“This pussy is always so good to me.” He grunted in your ear. He gripped your hips, yanking them off the counter. Your lower back was being balanced by the counter. You gasped as you felt the sharp corner pressing into you. You wrapped your legs around his waist tighter, fearing he was going to let you fall. 

You were simultaneously enjoying it and freaking out at the same time. You feared that he couldn’t hold your weight up. You took a deep breath to push those thoughts away, as he thrusted harder, loudly groaning.

“This pussy is taking me so well…” He groaned between thrusts. Your hand was starting to grow tired of gripping the counter next to you. You released your grip and found a new grip in his hair.

  
  


You felt as his thrusts were getting sloppy as he moaned your name. “C-Cum for me.”

You felt as your walls contracted around him. He rode out both of your highs, until you came down, filling you up with his cum. He stood there for a moment, as you two were catching your breath. He slipped out of you, as he grasped your head between both of his hands, gently kissing you. His kiss seemed desperate, as he pulled you closer to him. 

When he pulled away, he looked into your eyes intensely. “Come on.” He grabbed your hips and led you down to the ground. He grabbed your hand and led you to your bedroom. He laid down on your bed and you followed, getting under the covers. He pulled you closer to him, your back against his chest. 

“I wore you out today.” You could hear the smirk in his words. This made you laugh. You scooted back, to be a little closer to him. Being in his arms just felt…  _ right.  _

A few moments of silence passed before he broke it. 

“Do your windows open?” he questioned. He was stroking your arm, up and down with his hand. Your face twisted with confusion. You adjusted yourself to face him. His hand went back to your arm. 

“What?” you questioned, still confused. 

“Do any of your windows open?” he asked again. You tried to study his face, to get any information, but of course he wasn’t giving anything away. 

“Uh… They all do… Why?” his face was still empty at your response. 

“They don’t have any lock on them?” a wrinkle formed between his eyebrows. 

“No-” 

“What about a security system?” he cut you off. His hand was now gathering your hair behind your shoulders, moving it away from your neck. 

“Flip-Of course, why?” You continued to study his face, as he was now tracing a circle around the side of your neck. Probably another bruise. 

“Flip.” you said his name after he didn’t answer you. 

“I mean… I’m a man of the law.” He smirked. “I gotta make sure you’re safe. It’s my duty.” you watched his throat bob up and down with a chuckle. 

“We’re both off tomorrow. I’ll run to the store and get some locks to put on all the windows.” He looked down at you, waiting for your response. 

You playfully rolled your eyes. There was no point in trying to argue with him. You felt as his hand started stroking your hair. You closed your eyes and responded. 

“Fine.” 

\---

You didn’t want to open your eyes yet. You were trying your hardest to go back to sleep. It definitely wasn’t time to get up, yet your body said otherwise. You dug your head into your pillow, shifting, so your abdomen was facing the mattress. 

A few minutes went by when you turned over onto your side. You slowly fluttered your eyes open in frustration, as you knew you weren’t going back to sleep. You looked at the alarm clock on your bedside table. 3:15 AM. You slowly looked back behind you to see a sleeping Flip with a few strands of dark hair covering his face. 

You took a deep breath through your nose and slowly got out of bed, trying not to wake him. You made your way to the closet to grab an oversized shirt, peaking your head towards the bed. He was still asleep. 

You took light steps exiting the bedroom, closing the door behind you. You tip-toed towards the kitchen where you found scattered clothes everywhere. You took a moment to replay those moments in your head. You definitely needed to clean that counter later…

You tried your best to make your coffee as quietly as you could. You packed your espresso pucks until they were on the verge of overflowing. You could tell it was going to be a long day. When you finished your task, you tip-toed over to the front door. Even though it was hot and humid when the sun was out, the morning time had a crisp chill that made you think of the fall. You walked towards the left and sat down on your porch swing.

When you were settled outside, you sipped on your coffee, looking out onto the road in front of you. You saw Flip’s truck parked in the street in front of your place. All of your neighbors' cars were still in their driveways. It was so quiet this time of day. Well night for some people. Your sleep schedule was already fucked up, and having someone sleep in your bed that has the opposite doesn’t help. 

You took another sip of coffee, as you felt the wind hit your bare legs. Should have brought pants out here… It was a few minutes until you saw the front door open in your peripheral vision. You turned your head to see Flip, popping his head out, trying to hide his body to the outside. What you saw was a blanket wrapped around his waist. Very low, you might add. His bare chest was open to your view as you visibly checked him out. Your eyes followed his happy trail below his belly button. That man was a beautiful specimen. One of his eyes squeezed shut as you figured he was still adjusting to the light. You heard his deep morning voice speak your name. 

“What are you doing out here?” you saw him look around onto the surrounding roads and houses. When he was happy that no one was awake to see him, he joined you outside, closing the front door behind him. He shuffled over and stood in front of you. You watched as he ran his hand through his hair, trying to comb out the bedhead. He turned his head behind him, glancing around once more.

“Couldn’t sleep.” You took another sip of your coffee, setting the cup down on the armrest next to you. You felt his hand grasp yours as he was still standing in front of you. 

“You shouldn’t be out here.” he glanced around again. “Come back inside.” He was lightly tugging on your arm now. 

“I’ll come back in when I’m finished with my coffee.” you held your coffee cup to him. It seemed like he was too busy looking around to see your cup next to you. You felt your arm drop onto the armrest when he dropped it. You watched as he went back inside, shutting the door behind him. You took a breath as you stopped yourself from rolling your eyes. You didn’t expect to see him throwing a fit. 

You took another sip of your coffee as your mind flashed back to the blanket that wrapped dangerously low around his waist. A minute or two went by when you heard the front door open again. Flip shut the door behind him as he walked over, sitting next to you on the swing, half clothed. He threw his jeans on, and brought the blanket with him, wrapping it around his chest, but saving enough to cover your legs. 

“You’re crazy.” He scooted over, wrapping his arm around your shoulders, pulling you closer to steal some of your warmth. You leaned your head against his chest, pulling the coffee cup closer to you. 

“You’re the one that could have gone back to bed!” you laughed. He was being so stubborn. You were going to take another sip of your coffee when Flip’s large hand stole it from you. You lifted your head in time to see him sipping it for himself.

“So you can be asleep all day while I’m up? No, that won’t work.” His voice echoed as the cup was lifted to his mouth. You looked up at him as he sipped again. You watched as his eyes were back on the streets in front of him. You studied the beauty marks on his face like you were about to be quizzed on them. You watched as his brown eyes looked down at you. 

“We should really go back inside.” his face was blank again. You looked up at him, trying your hardest to read him, with a wrinkle forming between your eyebrows. 

You two gathered the blanket and headed back inside. You, again, didn’t want to argue with him. You saw him once again look back at the streets while letting you go through the threshold first. 

The rest of the morning was pretty uneventful. Sipping more brewed coffee and watching the morning news. Your favorite part was the morning kisses and cuddles on your couch, after brushed teeth of course. 

When it got to a decent hour, Flip made you two get dressed and go to the hardware store to get these ever so important locks for your windows. You almost rolled your eyes. It was like listening to another language while you watched him and the employee exchange words about different locks and different ways to install it blah blah blah. You could have fallen asleep if you didn’t have so much caffeine. You weren’t paying attention at all to what was being said. You didn’t even try to attempt to understand…

But what you did pay attention to was Flip. Dressed in the same outfit as last night. Your eyes specifically paid attention to his red plaid button up wrinkled across his torso. His large hands carried a wired hand basket with at least 8 packs of locks. It was definitely going to be a process trying to put those on your many windows. Of course they were perfectly fine without them. You never had an issue in the past, but if it made Flip sleep better, then you couldn’t think of a reason why not to get them. 

You were defocused on the products on the shelf for a few minutes when you felt a hand on your lower back. 

“We boring you?” you heard Flip’s familiar chuckle. You looked over at Flip and the store employee as they both had smiles on their faces.

“Just a tad.” You smiled up to Flip. You felt his hand snake around to your hip and pull you closer to him. 

“We’re almost done, I promise.” 

You watched as his head turned back towards the employee, talking in another language again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm interested in keeping in contact with you guys so if you want you can follow me on my socials!! Feel free to message me anytime!   
> tik tok: spookydal  
> insta: dislap_  
> snap: dislap
> 
> LOVE YOU GUYS. UNTIL NEXT TIME!!!


	8. Is that jealously I sense?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I SAID IT BEFORE, AND I'LL SAY IT AGAIN... I LOVE YOU GUYS SO MUCH!!! (Y'all sick of me yet?)
> 
> You guys were so supportive of chapter 7 after I expressed my hatred for it. I also got some love about how my story is body positive. I was honestly kicking myself in the back of my mind because I thought I wasn't doing it ENOUGH. Like I said on tik tok. Flip would simp over us ANY DAMN DAY. 
> 
> -Dal

_ Beep. Beep. Beep. _

God dammit. 

_ Beep. Beep. Beep.  _

You shut your eyes hoping to God someone was going to stop that fucking IV pump. 

_ Beep. Beep. Beep _

Your fingers were now rubbing at your temple. 

_ Beep. Beep. Beep.  _

You stood up from your computer. You were trying to catch up on documenting… guess that wasn’t happening right now. You walked out of the nurses station and walked down one of the many halls of the ER, searching for the source of the beeping. It took a few twists and turns, but you found it. You grabbed a flush out of your leg pocket and carefully flushed the patient's IV, trying not to wake them.

When walking back to your computer you ran into Sharon, another nurse in the ER with you. You heard her shout your name, while running towards you with her arms out. 

When you two finally collided in a hug she swayed you back and forth. It was a moment before she let you go. 

“I feel like I haven’t seen you in forever girl!!” She was trying to hide the excitement in her voice. 

“Been a busy few weeks.” You smiled towards her. She was always in a good mood. 

“Girl, don’t even tell me. I’m exhausted!!” You watched as she rolled her eyes, making you laugh. 

“What have you been up to?” You questioned. She started going off about the interesting cases she’s been getting since being in the trauma hall. You listened, nodding your head every once in a while. She was one of the few people you genuinely liked in the ER. 

It was a few minutes until she took a breath. 

“Anyways! Do you wanna see something juicy?” She grabbed your wrist, already pulling you down the opposite direction of the hall. 

“What is it?” You said through a laugh. 

“Lauren. Bless her heart. She’s trying to get some.” You were glad Sharon couldn’t see your face as you rolled your eyes. You’ve been trying your best to avoid her since the last time you saw her in the elevator. 

You two came to a stop when you came around a corner. Sharon rested her back against the wall and nodded her head towards the other end of the hall. All you could see was Lauren’s blonde hair being flipped. You had to physically stop yourself from complaining out loud when you heard her angelic laugh echo through the halls.

You then felt your stomach drop when you saw who her victim was. You thought you were going to be sick. There he stood in one of the many flannels that you loved so much. 

Flip Zimmerman. 

You stood next to Sharon against the wall crossing your arms, letting her hide you. You couldn’t help the jealousy clouding your mind. 

“She’s trying way too hard. He’s not interested at all.” Sharon was making you feel slightly better, without even knowing who he was to you. 

He did seem uninterested. Not keeping eye contact with her at all. Looking for someone to save him…

It still didn’t change the fact that you felt like she was stepping on your territory. 

_ Is he flirting with other girls when you’re not with him? _

You rolled your eyes at yourself now. You two never had the talk… so you technically shouldn’t be bothered by this… 

That’s when a new thought popped in your head. 

_ Was he sleeping with other people?  _

Jesus. You were hurting your own feelings now. You felt the anxiety kick in. 

Your anxious thoughts were interrupted by someone shouting your name from the opposite side of the hall. You noticed Flip made eye contact with you before you turned your head. 

_ Shit.  _ You were trying to avoid this happening…. hence you hiding behind Sharon. 

It was one of the paramedics saying hi to you. You flashed them a smile and turned your head back over. Flip was walking over to you… and for some reason Lauren was following behind him, trying to keep up. 

“Shit.” You said under your breath. 

“What’s wrong?” Sharon looked over to you. 

You didn’t answer her as you watched a smirk form on Flip’s face. He stopped when he stood over you. Staring down at you with those brown eyes. Your breath hitched. 

“Guys, this is Flip.” Lauren was taking a few steps closer towards him. 

That fucking smirk stayed on his face. You couldn’t tell if you wanted to slap him or kiss him. 

“Yeah…” you trailed off. Flip was in unison with your words. He leaned down to plant a quick kiss on your lips. 

“I know.” You felt the embarrassment radiate off of Lauren, simultaneously feeling Sharon’s excitement. 

“Oh…” a whisper was all that came out of Lauren. You  _ almost _ felt bad. Almost. 

“What are you doing here?” You questioned, now wondering why he was here and didn’t find you sooner. You couldn’t help but feel small next to him. With him towering over you, and Lauren’s beauty screaming at you. Your mind flashed back to them at the end of the hall...

You tucked your hair behind your ears, doing anything to put your mind at ease, and crossed them over your chest again.

“I missed you.” The smirk was still on his face, ignoring the company still in your presence. 

“Come on girl, let’s leave these two love birds alone.” You could hear Sharon next to you grabbing Lauren. You knew she was going to give her shit later, which you wanted a front row seat to. 

You turned your head, watching them two leave, noticing Lauren looking back only at him. Flip’s eyes never left your face though. You felt just as nervous as you did the first time you met him. You turned back to return his gaze. 

“So… you and Lauren huh?” You joked, cocking your eyebrows up and down. You tried to joke at what bothered you the most.

When you didn’t uncross your arms from your chest, he did it for you. His hand gripped one of your arms, putting it around him. You moved your other arm in unison, wrapping them around him, pulling him closer towards you, to a respectful distance. 

Your name fell off of his soft lips. “Is that jealousy I sense?” He continued to smirk down at you. 

“Not at all… I think you two would make a great couple.” It came out lower than you thought. Thinking about them made your heart shatter.

“Oh really?” Flip took a step closer to you, causing you to hold your breath. You were grateful it was dead time at work, and no one was here to see him tower over you. 

“Yeah…” it came out as a whisper.

“Alright… Let me go find her…” Flip was once again smirking as he pretended to take a step back. You tightened your grip around him, refusing to let him leave. You gasped playfully. 

“You wouldn’t, Zimmerman!” You laughed up at him. You felt one of his hands reach up and tuck a loose strand of hair behind your ear as he laughed with you. 

“Of course I wouldn’t.” Flip blinked down at you. The smirk faded, as he seemed more serious.

A few moments went by before he spoke again.

“I was trying to find you, but she stopped me in the hall. She talks  _ a lot. _ ” Flip looked down at you. It left unsaid that he was trying to give you some sort of explanation. 

You nodded your head, looking down at your feet. You wanted the subject to change, even though you were the one to technically bring it up. Your mind raced through those anxious thoughts once more. You couldn’t help but think if he was seeing other people. Was he flirting with other people?  _ Oh God,  _ was he sleeping with other people? You bit your lip trying to focus as those anxious thoughts clouded your mind again. 

You could tell Flip sensed the unease in you, as he lifted your chin with his finger, and spoke your name. You cut him off before he could ask what was wrong. 

“I missed you too.” Your voice was still low. You watched his mouth curl into a smile.

“Have you taken your lunch break yet?” he once again tucked a piece of hair behind your ear. You shook your head no. 

“Perfect. Lets go.” He took a step back and held his hand out, waiting. It didn’t take longer than a second for you to fit your hand around his. He lightly tugged your arm for you to follow him. You took big steps to keep up with him in the direction of the main entrance. 

You reached for your hospital phone that was attached to your scrub top, punching in the team leaders phone number. Walter was working tonight, so he wouldn’t give you any trouble. When he answered the phone you told him you were going to lunch. 

When you passed one of the nurses station, you turned your head, eyes directly going onto Lauren, sitting next to Sharon. Her eyes never met yours though. They were directly on Flip’s hand holding yours. You turned your head up towards Flip walking next to you. He kept his eyes ahead. Either he knew she was staring at him, or he simply didn’t care. 

You two were silent on the rest of the walk. He was taking you to his truck parked right outside the entrance. He opened the door for you, and shut it behind you when you got situated. You watched him walk over to the drivers side and get it. You heard the roar of his truck as he turned the key in the ignition. He changed gears and rolled the steering wheel with one of his hands.

You looked out the window as he drove into the parking garage, pulling the truck into park on the lower level. You leaned to look out the window, seeing that you two were all alone. You heard Flip grab something from behind your seat, which made you turn your head towards him. You watched as his arm swung back from the backseat with a bag. 

“Chicken salad.” Flip stated as he fished a container from the bag and handed it to you. When you grabbed it, he took out a sandwich and fries for himself. He laid the open bag in the backseat once again. 

You two were catching up while eating, since it’s been about a week since you saw each other. Your mind flashed back while listening to him go on about needing a vacation. You helped him install all those damn locks… It wouldn’t have taken so long, if you guys didn’t stop to hook up so many times that day. You didn’t mind, of course. Seeing him as your handy man was pretty sexy. 

  
  


After you two finished eating and Flip gathered all the trash, you watched as he settled in his seat, watching you. You knew that look, though. He was studying your body in your scrubs. Just like he did in that black dress, and when you stitched him up. You bit your lip and scooted closer to him. Perks of an old Chevrolet truck. Just one big seat, leading to him. When you were a few inches away from him, he wrapped his right arm around your waist, pulling you closer to him. His left hand lifting up to your face. He rested his hand on your cheek, caressing with his thumb. He licked his lips, while tangling his fingers in your hair. 

You could feel your pulse quicken. You never got used to him looking at you like this. It made you feel shy when he looked at you for this long. He was studying your face, and it made you feel like he was going to find something he didn’t like. 

It was quiet around you, since you were the only people that existed on that floor. The only thing you could hear was Flip’s slow breaths. It felt like forever when he finally leaned in. He placed his soft lips against yours, kissing you gently. You could feel the arm around your waist pulling you closer to him, as he deepened the kiss. You moaned against his lips when his arm pulled you closer to him, pressing you against his chest. 

He seemed to really like that as he bit your lip. When he released it from his teeth he looked down at you. 

“Have I ever mentioned that I have a thing for nurses?” 

You felt your body being picked up and set down on his lap, with your legs on either side of his hips. You couldn’t help but laugh at his statement, running your fingers through the ends of his hair. You noticed you were looking down at him, which was rare. 

“I could see that, Zimmerman.” You hoped the pettiness in your voice wasn’t showing. You were still a little bothered by finding him and Lauren together. Which, of course, you would never admit outloud since it was his business. Not yours. 

“Let me be more specific…” He trailed off as he leaned his head up, leaving kissing up your neck. He stopped when he reached your ear, biting it softly. 

“I have a thing for  _ one _ nurse.” he whispered, leaving his hot breath against your skin. 

You felt your body shutter from not only his hot breath hitting you, but from his words. You felt yourself crumbling on top of him. You felt the warmth in between your legs grow as his hands started roaming all over your body. You felt the bulge from his jeans pressing against your thigh, which caused another moan to leave your mouth. You felt emptiness when he lifted his head away from your neck. You were lost in his brown eyes, as he looked up at you. 

You watched as he licked his lips once again. “You should get going… Your break is almost over.” You watched as his mouth turned into a smirk. This caused you to playfully roll your eyes at him. 

“You’re such an ass.” He knew what he was doing. Getting you all hot and bothered so that he was all you could think about the rest of the shift. 

Which of course happened. 

After he walked you back inside to your nurses station, he pecked your lips goodbye, “I’ll see you later” and walked off. Sharon walked up to you, joining you as you watched him grow smaller. You leaned against the wall, crossing your arms over your chest.

“Do I wanna know how well your lunch break went?” Sharon whispered over to you, nudging you with her elbow. When you couldn’t see Flip anymore, you looked over at her laughing. 

“How’s Lauren?” you whispered back to her, trying to hold back an eye roll. You wish you were asking sincerely, but you weren’t. Oops. 

“She’s been awfully quiet in the corner since you two walked out.” Sharon couldn’t hold back her laugh. She grabbed your arm and tugged you back to the nurses station. 

  
  


Catching up on your documentation shouldn’t have been this hard. You finally got a moment of peace to do your work, but your mind kept wandering off to him. His eyes staring up at you, him surprising you at work, even if he was side tracked on the way.

It was close to shift change when you felt your phone buzz in your pocket. 

_ “Come over when you get off. I’ll be waiting for you.”  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> UNTIL NEXT TIME MY FRIENDS!!


	9. Did I tell you to stop?

You were never one to speed. You always took your time driving. If you were late, then you were late. Working in the ER left you life lessons. Driving a hunk of junk down the road going 70 mph was clearly something to stay away from. 

This was the only time you didn’t follow that advice. You were eager to see him… and you needed to see him as soon as you could. 

You were waiting for Flip to open the door the next morning when you got off. You bit your lip, with butterflies in your stomach. You shook your head, trying to shake the nerves off. Your mind kept going back to you two in his truck on your lunch break. Not only did he tease you, but you couldn’t stop thinking about his comment. 

_ “I have a thing for one nurse.”  _

Jesus christ, you just about melted right there on his porch. You wanted to ride him in that truck until the fucking sun came up. 

The door swung open, interrupting your dirty thoughts. You didn’t know you were biting your lip until you saw Flip. He looked like he didn’t sleep, waiting up for you. 

Flip was still in his jeans and cowboy boots, you almost didn’t recognize him without his flannel, since he was in a white t-shirt this time. You watched as he crouched over to peck your lips with a soft kiss. 

When you returned the kiss, he wrapped his arms around your waist, picking you up and bringing you inside. He finally let you down when he closed the front door. 

He never lost contact with you, though. His arms were still wrapped around you, pulling you close to him. He watched over you, as he tucked a piece of hair behind your ears. 

“How was the rest of your night?” He questioned, with a smirk plastered on his face. 

Jackass! He was teasing you again. 

“Not as fun as I wanted…” You licked your lips, watching his eyes, following every movement. Even though you were exhausted, you could tell you were returning the teasing. 

You stared at his plump lips. You didn’t notice you were reaching up for them, until you saw your thumb rubbing against his bottom lip. You noticed his breath quickening, as he pulled you closer against his chest. You watched as his throat bobbed up and down. 

He snatched your hand away from his mouth and held it against his chest. He leaned down and kissed you. It was full of lust. He needed you just as bad as you needed him. 

He grunted as he pressed your body against the front door, deepening the kiss. He released his arms around you, to let his hands roam all over your. Tracing every curve on your body, like he was desperately trying to memorize them. He pressed his body against yours when his hands were on either side of your neck, fingers tangling in your hair. 

Your hands shot up to his hair. Tangling your fingers, yanking, anything to feel him. To let him know you wanted him and you wanted him now.

He seemed to get the message when he pulled away from your body all together, trying to catch his breath. 

“Take your clothes off.” He ordered. You bit your lip as you watched him take a few steps back, reaching behind him. He sat on the staircase leading upstairs. He leaned back, resting his elbows on a step behind him. He bit his lip at the show he was going to get. 

You took a deep breath in, trying to gather all the confidence you could. You started with your shoes, kicking them to the side. His eyes never moved off of you. You reached for your stethoscope around your neck, about to drop it on the floor when he reached his hand out. 

“Give me that.” he ordered. You didn’t hesitate to give it to him. You placed it in his hand, watching him place it on the step next to him. He never lost eye contact with you, which threw you off guard a bit. 

“Did I tell you to stop?” The hunger in his voice grew deeper. 

Your breath hitched as you continued your orders. You hooked your thumbs around your waist line, slowly pulling them down your legs. His eyes followed them to the ground. You felt the warmth in between your legs grow as you saw him palm himself over his jeans. You couldn’t help but let out a soft moan.

When you heard a grunt come from his chest, you kicked your scrub pants and panties to the side, joining your shoes. 

Flip grew impatient. He unzipped his jeans, pulling them past his hips, letting his length spring free. You licked your lips as you reached for your scrub top now. 

You didn’t take your eyes off his hand, wrapped around his length, bouncing up and down and growing speed. When you threw your scrub top to the side, you walked over to him. 

“On your k-knees.” He ordered. He was loving the sight in front of him. When you followed his command, his free hand reached for your hair. Tangling his fingers in your hair, he moaned again. You rested your hands on his knees, keeping yourself sturdy. 

“I want you to taste me.” his hand that was once busy on his cock, steadied itself. You watched as his finger scooped up his precum, gathered at his slit. He lifted his finger to your mouth. 

  
  


“Open.” He ordered again. You were eager. You wrapped your mouth around his finger, and sucked. His familiar taste caused your skin to catch on fire. 

Your clit was swollen and was screaming for any sort of friction. You slid your hand off his knee to relieve the tension yourself. 

You felt his large hand grip your wrist, keeping your hand in place. 

“Did I give you permission to touch yourself?” His voice was growing darker, which shot adrenaline in your blood.

“I don’t think so.” He tightened the grip on your hair, causing your scalp to sear with pain.

“Now take all of me with that pretty mouth of yours.” He led you down to his lap with the grip he had on your hair.

You licked his length from the base up to his head, licking the precum already coming out. You heard him let out a growl coming from his chest, growing impatient. You smirked up at him, and wrapped your mouth around his length, bobbing your head up and down. You felt the grip on your hair grow tighter as he followed your head. 

Flip’s hips caught you off guard as he thrusted up, letting him hit the back of your throat, causing you to gag. You took a second to gather yourself, letting your spit drip down his length. It didn’t take long to wrap your mouth around him once more. You relaxed your muscles, letting his head hit the back of your throat. Going at your own speed, you felt your nose hitting his abdomen, causing you to gag once more. 

He yanked your head back, watching the spit stretch out from your mouth, letting you have a second to breath. He released his hold on your hair. 

“Fuck. Come here.” He bent down to hold your hips. He led you onto his lap, with each leg on either side of him. Straddling him just like you did in the car. He released his right hand, and snaked it in between to grab his length and tease your entrance. You sank onto his length, once you felt like you couldn’t take anymore teasing. 

“Always so eager for me.” He moaned as you moved your hips up and down, slowly. Trying to feel as much as you could. It was so long since you felt this good. It was a week since you felt him. Every day since, you needed release, but on the days you didn’t see him, you wouldn’t touch yourself. No. Your body was his, and only his. Only he could make you feel like this.

At this moment in time, you didn’t think about if he was seeing other people, or even sleeping with them. He was yours in that moment, and you wanted him to know how good he made you feel. Your rhythm picked up, as his hands roamed all over your body. Slapping your bottom, pulling your hair, and gripping your breasts. 

You wanted to complain when his hands lost contact with your skin. You looked down at him, wanting to tell him to grab you again, when you noticed what he was doing. The smirk on his face said it all.

Your stethoscope. 

He grazed his hands across the long tube, from the ear pieces, to the bell. Your body screamed with chills as he gathered your hair to the side with his hand. 

He then wrapped the stethoscope around your neck, securing it with his hand behind your neck. 

Well that's new. 

It was already tight around your throat, when his other snaked in between your folds, rubbing your clit with his thumb. You loudly moaned, as you were quickly crumbing on top of him. 

“Flip…” You wanted to scream his name, but it came out as a whisper as he gripped your stethoscope tighter around your throat. 

“You look so good like this.” He grunted, circling his thumb faster. “On top of me, with your tits bouncing in my face.” You looked down at him, in a trance with your breasts, in fact, bouncing in front of his face. You watched as he stuck his tongue out, trying to catch one of your breasts in his mouth. When he succeeded, he sucked, looking up at you. 

You tried to moan again, but the grip on your neck was too tight. You hissed, trying to get a breath in, when you started to see spots. What vision you had left, was spent on Flip releasing the grip on the stethoscope, and throwing it on the ground. He slipped his hand from your folds and gripped both of your hips, thrusting up, making sure you still felt him as you sucked on the oxygen you desperately needed. 

It was abrupt when he lifted your hips off his lap, causing him to slip out. 

“Stand up. Face the door.” He ordered. He was cautious when you made it to your feet. He still had his grip on your hips, to make sure you wouldn’t faint. When he saw that you were stable, he let you go to follow his orders. 

You closed your eyes as you felt his hands caressing your bottom, He leaned in towards your ear. 

“Been thinking about you all night… taking you in my truck…” His breath against your ear caused your skin to catch on fire. “My good girl.” He moaned again

You felt his left hand yanking your hips back, causing your back to arch, you put your hands up against the front door, trying to brace yourself. You could feel him slip into your folds, with a quick pace. He lifted you by your shoulder, with a hand around your neck. He just held it there, making sure you knew who you belonged to. 

You heard him moan your name in your ear. “Fuck, you feel so good.” He continued his quick pace. 

You felt so bad for his neighbors. You imagined they were trying to have a good morning, enjoying their coffee until they heard you screaming. Getting fucked so good like this. You could hear Flip laugh next to your ear as he covered your mouth. His rhythm growing sloppy. 

“You’re going to wake up the whole fucking neighborhood.” He moaned in your ear. 

You tried to moan against his hand, but you failed. Your legs were growing weak as he thrusted harder. 

“Be a good girl and be quiet while you cum.” You could hear the smirk off his words. He took his hand off your mouth, and moved it back to your hip. The hand on your neck slipped down to one of your breasts. 

He struggled himself to stay quiet as he grunted when he felt your walls spasmed around him. It wasn’t long until he filled you with his cum. You already felt it dripping down your thigh as he pulled out. 

He turned you around by your hips and tilted your chin up towards him, taking a look at your neck. He leaned down to leave soft kisses around your neck, where your stethoscope once was.

“You okay?” He questioned. You were too tired to speak, so you were left at nodding your head. 

When he came back up, he started caressing your hair. You flinched as he went over the sore patches from him pulling so hard.    
  


“You sure?” he questioned again. You could sense the guilt in his voice. You looked up at him and nodded once more. 

“Promise.” you managed to get out. You lifted your hand up towards his face, caressing his cheek with your thumb. You couldn’t handle him feeling guilty for hurting you when it felt so good. You stood on your toes to plant your lips against his. 

He chuckled against your lips as you struggled to stay up. He knelt down to wrap his arms around your waist to keep you up against him. 

“Want to go to bed?” Your eyes were closed, but you felt him tuck a piece of your hair behind your ear. 

“God, yes.” You yawned on cue. 

You felt his arms loosen from your waist, and one of his hands slip into yours. You opened your eyes to look up at him. That little piece of hair dangled in front of his face, as he pecked a quick kiss on your lips. 

“Come on.” He tugged you along up the stairs and into his bedroom. 

You took a look around, since you were drunk the last time you were here. You did remember that mirror, though. You couldn’t help the smirk that formed on your lips. 

Flip released your hand to clean up the mess on the bed. Lots of paper were spread across his bed. He threw them all in a file labeled  _ ‘A. Kronos.’  _ and threw them on the night table closest to him. You kept your eye on that file. 

You would have to get back to that. 

It took you a second to snap out of it. Flip was already lying on the bed, when he tapped the mattress next to him, signaling you to lie next to him. You smiled down at him, and joined him. Like the last time you were here, he wrapped his arms around your waist, pulling your back against his chest. He settled his head on top of your shoulder and hummed. 

“You’re not going to leave again are you?” He whispered. You could tell he was exhausted too. He pulled you a little closer to him, nuzzling his head a little more.

“Not this time.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so usually I post at weird times, but for sure you guys wont get chapter 10 until probably next week around thursday! 
> 
> mama is FINALLY going on vacation after years! I'm definitely looking forward to it after nursing school and being a new nurse during covid... 
> 
> But don't y'all worry... I'll be writing on the plane ride ;)


	10. I'm gonna teach you a lesson

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, just an update for you guys! I'm still on vacation, so I'm blessing you with this chapter early! I'm very proud of this chapter and the ones coming up since it has actual plot in it! Anyways, you guys enjoy, let me know what you think, and just an FYI, use the tag #breakthechainfanfic on tik tok so I can see your guys' content!! 
> 
> Love you!  
> -Dal.

“Are you sure you don’t want to go?” Jen asked while she was folding a shirt. You were trying to help her pack a suitcase for a weekend trip. 

“I already told you. I’m not going.” You wanted to roll your eyes, but you didn’t want to get into an argument before she left. You picked another shirt that was lying on her bed and folded it, setting it in the suitcase in front of you. “Besides… I technically didn’t get an invite.” 

Once again, your heart hurt a little more, as you thought about it. Flip and Ron were heading out of state for some forensics convention. Ron invited Jen, since they decided to become exclusive last week. Ron mentioned to her that the convention would last through the weekend, but after 3 pm they could have the rest of the day together. 

Flip didn’t mention said convention to you… at all. Didn’t help that you were avoiding him over the last week as a result of it. 

You sighed out loud. You really didn’t mean to. You wanted to roll your eyes at yourself now. He didn’t owe you an invite. He didn’t owe you shit, in fact. You just got your hopes up, that’s all. 

“I’m sorry…” you heard Jen whisper as she folded another shirt. “I’m sure Ron will be busy most of the time, anyways.” 

Now you really did roll your eyes. Jen usually wasn’t the type to say bullshit to make you feel any better. She got to the point, no matter how much it hurt. 

You sighed again. “It’s fine.” you looked over to her. “Just have fun for the both of us?” you gave her a reassuring smile. She embraced you in a hug and nodded before you two went back to your task. 

Your mind wandered to the week before. 

  
  
  
  
  


You fluttered your eyes open and looked over to the alarm clock on Flip’s bedside table. It read 2:23 PM. You then turned your head. You couldn’t see Flip’s face, but you could definitely see his head of hair covering it. You watched the slow rise and fall of his chest, as he was still asleep. You pressed your fingers onto your eyes, trying to rub the sleepiness off. When you gathered enough energy, you sat up in bed. You sat there for a moment before a thought entered your mind. 

You slowly turned your head back towards his direction again, but you weren’t looking at him this time. No. You looked at his bedside table. The case file was still there. You slowly stood up from bed and tip-toed over around to his side. When you picked it up you noticed how thick the file was. No wonder he was always complaining about the case. You took one last glance over to Flip, who was still sound asleep, and you tip-toed back over to your side of the bed. 

You quietly sat back down on the bed, opening the file in front of you. You immediately noticed a picture of a man, which caused a wrinkle to form in between your eyebrows. He looked so familiar. You thought he looked familiar… 

You shook your head and moved on. You moved the picture aside and started reading. 

  
  


_ “Adrik Petroff AKA Abigor Kronos of Dimitri and Elena Petroff. Date of birth 10/31/1983. Born in Cheremkhovo, Russia. It is reported that A. Petroff was known for dealing drugs in the streets of Russia, before coming to the United States. When coming to the U.S. Petroff got involved selling firearms to various gangs around major cities. It was also known Petroff would spread false rumors about the gangs, causing them to become rivals. Death and crime rates skyrocketed as a result. This is where his alias, Abigor (meaning: Demon of War) Kronos, named after his grandfather that died from cancer in 1991, originated. When tracking Petroff to West Baltimore, Maryland in 2013, he fled back to Russia to escape charges. Word of Petroff came back in 2015 when he was seen in Miami, Florida. Major crimes started noticing a trend of firearms being used in crimes with ‘X’s’ scratched in the sides. This was later known to be associated with Petroff. Miami was a hot spot of an increase of death rates. Reports came in to find 3-5 dead bodies every week in an abandoned building with the same ‘X’s’ carved into their chest, tying back to Petroff.”  _

You flipped the page, seeing multiple pictures of dead bodies, and their chests all carved up. You looked away, staring off. You tried to get that image out of your head. 

You thought back to the mark. That definitely seemed familiar. Your mind flashed back to when Flip took you to his station… Those suited men… You licked your lips trying to put the pieces together. You stood up from the bed, picking up one of Flip’s flannels on the ground. When you put it on, you walked out of the room and downstairs. Your throat was dry all of a sudden and you needed water. 

You leaned back against the counter, with the glass in your hand. When you weren’t sipping on the water, you were biting your lip. Yeah you saw some shit in the ER department, but your patients are usually alive… saveable. Most of the time... The people in the pictures however, were not. You took a deep breath and headed back upstairs to finish reading. 

Note to self. Skip the pictures. 

When you tip-toed back towards Flip’s room, you saw him awake and assessing what was scattered across the bed. He sat up, holding up one of the pictures. When you came into view he looked up at you with a wrinkle in between his eyebrows. 

“Were you reading this?” he held up the picture that was in his hand.

When you nodded your head, he put the picture down. 

“How far did you get?” you watched as he started shuffling the pages back into the file. 

You couldn’t tell if he was pissed or not. You watched as he moved the file into the drawer of his bed side table this time. Looks like he didn’t want you snooping again. 

“I only got through the first page… A-Are you upset?” you questioned. You watched as he looked in your direction. 

“Come here.” 

You bit your lip. You were terrified. You felt like you were overstepping your boundaries. Maybe he took his work personally? 

You set the glass of water down on the dresser next to you. 

You fidgeted with the ends of the oversized sleeves of the borrowed shirt you had on. You shyly made your way back towards the bed. You lifted your leg, about to sit on the edge of the bed when Flip grabbed your wrist. He tugged you, yanking you in the bed. Right as your back hit the mattress he got on top of you, hands on either side of your head. 

You watched as he shook his head above you, tsking you in the process. 

“You’ve been a bad girl I see.” You watched as a smirk plastered over his face. Butterflies forming in your stomach. 

“Hmm… you look good in my shirt.” He shifted his weight to hold himself with one hand, while the other moved to your chest. Your breath hitched as you looked down, watching his movement. 

You noticed how low the flannel was on your chest, showing most of your sternum. His finger started at your collar bone, tracing back and forth. His finger then made its way to your sternum, moving dangerously low. You couldn’t help the chills shooting down your spine. 

You took a shaky breath in. You blinked up at him as your hands slowly made its way to the buttons of the flannel. 

Flip licked his lips, watching your every move. You bit your lip as you unbuttoned the flannel, slowly exposing your full breasts to him. You felt the warmth in between your legs come alive. 

You remained eye contact with him as he bent down, getting closer to your chest. You took another shaky breath in as he stuck his tongue out, drawing slow circles around your left nipple. You shivered as his breath hit against the trail he left. 

You looked up at the ceiling when he continued with his slow circles. You bit your lip as your body reacted by arching your back, giving him more access. 

“Such an eager girl…” You felt as Flip moved to the other breast, his hand now moving the flannel out of the way. The cold air hit your skin as he exposed your entire torso and abdomen. 

You closed your eyes as you felt him adjust himself, now leaving your breasts alone. You felt empty. You wanted to tell him, actually, beg him to touch you again. 

You felt Flip’s hands caress your chest painfully slow. His hands cupped your full breasts, giving it a slight squeeze before moving on. His palms moving up and down your sides, catching your skin on fire. Your little bundle of nerves screaming for any type of attention. 

His hands slid past your hips and down your thighs, snaking his arms around your legs. You felt his grip get tighter. You gasped as he yanked you down, pressing his hard length against your thigh. 

You felt his grip around your legs loosen. When you finally got the courage to open your eyes, he made his way on top of you again, staring directly into your eyes. 

“Flip…” it came out as a whisper as your lip trembled. You felt his chest touch you with each of his deep breaths. You looked into his eyes and saw nothing but hunger. 

He sat there switching his gaze between your eyes and your bare chest. He took a deep breath and sat up again, leaning over to his bedside table. Your gaze followed him, curious to what he was doing. You saw him dig around the drawer, moving that file around. You heard clinging metal for a moment before he shut the draw again, with something in his hand. 

Flip’s gaze met yours again, he was starving now. 

He set the object next to his knee before grabbing both of your hips. He was rough when he threw you around, your face shoved into the mattress now. You felt his rough hands moving the flannel up towards the small of your back, bare ass in the air. 

The next thing you felt was Flip yanking your arms back, gathering your wrists on top of your butt. You felt the initial shock of cool metal snapping around your wrists.

This asshole was handcuffing you. 

The next thing you felt was the weight of his body pressing against you as he leaned in next to your ear. 

“I think it’s time you got a punishment, don’t you think?” The sentence made your thighs tighten, trying to get any type of friction you could get. 

Flip’s hand met your bottom with a hard slap, catching you off guard. 

“Answer me.” His hot breath hitting your ear once again. 

“Yes.” You were trying to control your excitement, fear and need for him. You were desperately failing at all three. 

“Yes. Sir.” He hissed through his teeth, slapping your bottom again. A mixture of a yelp and a moan escaped your mouth when his hand met your skin again.

“Yes sir.” You moaned, gripping your thighs tighter. 

“You’ve been a bad girl…” he sat up, rubbing his hand over the area he just slapped. He soothed it for a moment before his hands made its way to your ankles, lifting them in the air. He gripped hard, yanking your legs apart. 

“I’m gonna teach you a lesson.” 

You heard the loud slap before you felt that familiar stinging of your bottom. This time, the moan came from him. 

“Hmm… show me you’re still my good girl.” He traced his finger from your ankle, up your leg and in between your folds. He teased your entrance, noticing how wet you were. He seemed to note this as he moaned. 

“That’s a good start.” He started rubbing circles on your clit with his finger, watching you buck your hips. His pace was painfully slow, teasing you. 

You bucked your hips again, trying to get the friction you thought you deserved. 

Flip, on the other hand, didn’t think you deserved it. He stopped the focus on your clit. This caused you to yelp in annoyance, as you felt yourself grow needier for more of his touch. 

He took painfully slow circles around your clit again. You couldn’t stop squirming under his touch, making the cold metal cut around your wrists tighter. 

You felt his other hand trace up and down your arm until he grabbed the metal chain holding your wrists together and yanked them back, causing you to moan in pain. 

“You’ll take what I give you.” He grunted. He worked on your clit a little faster now, still tugging your wrists by that little chain of metal. Your body was shaking with each circle he took, you tried not to buck your hips against him, but you were failing. 

_ “Fuck.”  _ Flip watched your body’s response to his touch. You wanted to start whining when his hand lost contact with your tiny bundle of nerves. 

Your vision was limited, since your head was lost among the pillows on the bed. You felt his large hands grip your hips. You wanted to moan as his fingers dug down into your skin, lifting your hips. 

“Get on your knees.” he ordered. From the tone of his voice, he didn’t want to wait any longer than he should. 

You struggled of course, you never really noticed how often you use your hands until you really need them. Flip held your hips high until you got into a position he was happy with. His grip was loosened on your hips, only to be found on your legs once again. He wrapped his arms around your thighs, yanking them further apart. You tried to turn your head, struggling to see him in your peripheral view. It wasn’t the best, but you knew how irresistible he looked right now. 

He slapped your bottom, hard, one last time before teasing your entrance with his length. The ear that wasn’t shoved into the mattress heard his sweet moan as he slipped in until you couldn’t him anymore. This caused your eyes to roll back as you moaned loudly. You weren’t being shy about letting him know how good this felt. 

“Hmm… There’s my good girl… so loud for me.” His hips snapped against yours, causing you to scream in not only pleasure, but with being impatient. You took a mental note to remember to tease him like this next time. 

He produced a slow rhythm with his hips, thrusting in and out of you, yanking the chain again. Your hands were hanging over your bottom, feeling yourself jiggle with each thrust he took. Your fingers reached out, trying to touch him, get as much as you could of him. 

“F-fuck” he stuttered. “I’m not gonna last long…” He picked up his rhythm, while his free hand made its way to your clit again. 

“My girl… So good for me.” He moaned, drawing quick circles around your clit. This caused you to buck your hips inward, giving him more access. 

You were a hot mess. You knew that. Writhing your body around, moaning- on the verge of screaming… Only he could do this to you. What was it he said in that evidence room? 

_ This was his, and only his.  _

_ “Fuck!”  _ Flip’s hips snapped harder against you, causing the entire bed to shake against the wall. “I want to hear you… Scream my name.” He moaned at the thought before you could even start. 

“Flip! Fuck you feel so good!” you were his good girl. You didn’t hesitate to follow his orders. 

A deep throaty grunt with a few more sloppy thrusts and he was spilling his load into you. He rubbed your clit, building you up as he was coming down. He slipped out, watching you. 

Your legs collapsed, causing you to lie flat on the bed as you felt your walls spasm, causing his hot liquid to drip out of you. 

You laid there for a moment, trying to regather your thoughts. Your head was buzzing, trying to get back to reality. 

The metal losing contact with your skin was what brought you back. You felt the blankets cover your body as Flip turned you over towards him. 

“Let me see your wrists.” 

You kept your eyes closed as your fished your arms out from under the blanket. When they made it to the surface, he moved the sleeves down your arms and softly rubbed around your wrists with his hands. 

You felt him lean down and leave soft kisses around your wrists before setting them down. You felt his finger under your chin, lifting it to make eye contact with him. 

When you opened your eyes, he leaned down and kissed you. His kiss was soft as his mustache tickled your upper lip. When he pulled away you watched as a smirk grew across his face. 

“Hmm… You did so well…” He leaned down and pecked a kiss on your lips. You noticed he was still leaning in. 

“Still my good girl… For now... “ He whispered against your lips.

  
  
  
  


That was the week before of course. The next day when you were back at your place, Jen called you with excitement about Ron inviting her to the convention. 

_ “You and I can go to the spa while the guys are gone!”  _ Jen practically screamed in the phone.

A wrinkle formed in between your eyebrows. 

“Yeah, that sounds fun… Flip hasn’t told me about it yet…” you trailed off. 

_ “Well he will! We can help each other pack too!” _

She went on and on about how excited she was and how desperately she needed a vacation from Toby, her idiot assistant. 

A few days went by, and still nothing from Flip. He would call and send you a few text messages here and there, but nothing about the convention, nothing about inviting you, and nothing about when he will see you next. You of course never responded to him. 

You would eventually get over it, but you just needed some time.

  
  
  
  
  


“I’ll see you when you get back.” you were walking out of Jen’s apartment as she was walking you to the door. 

“Of course… Ron’s on his way to pick me up and we’re leaving tonight… I’ll text you when we get in?” she questioned. 

You nodded your head. 

“Hey, I’ll make sure to give Flip a hard time! Make him regret not inviting you!” A slight smile formed on her face, waiting for your approval. You shook your head, dismissing her.

“No… don’t do that. He already has a lot on his plate.” You were upset, sure, but you didn’t want to add to his stress.

“Fine…” Jen gave you a tight hug before locking the door behind you. 

The drive home was quiet. You just wanted to be in your thoughts, watching the lighted street ahead of you from your headlights. Yeah you were huffing and puffing, but you had to remind yourself. 

_ He didn’t owe you anything…  _

You were turning on your street when you saw that familiar red and white Chevrolet truck parked outside your house. Flip, leaning against his truck, dropped the cigarette from his mouth and stepped on it. You pulled into your driveway, confused. When you stepped out of the car, Flip was already standing next to your car. 

“What are you doing here?” You questioned as you shut your door. You felt your stomach drop. It was the first time you said anything to him in the last week. You watched as he stared down at you. Your name fell off his lips. Music to your ears since you haven't heard it in so long.

“Where have you been?” His voice came out more harsh than you wanted. I mean how could you blame him? You basically ghosted him for a week. You didn’t know what to say so you just looked down at your feet.

“I was worried about you.” the harshness lessened. You felt his hand tuck a piece of your hair behind your ear. “Why haven’t you been answering my calls or texts?” 

You again, didn’t know how to respond. You cleared your throat and looked up at him. 

“Uh… Jen mentioned a forensics convention… I figured you would be heading out there by now.” You looked over to his truck. You noticed a pile of cigarette butts on the street in front of the drivers side. Guess he was waiting there for a while. You looked back at him when he started talking.

“I told the chief I thought it was a better idea for me to stay here. Work on the case… Check on things here...” His voice trailed off as he was staring down at you again. His gaze switched over between your eyes. That's when it hit you. 

He wanted to stay here with you. Stay here because of you. You bit your lip, trying to hide the smile you wanted to flash up at him.

“You hungry?” You asked, looking down at your keys, separating the one for the front door. Flip’s hand was on your lower back, walking next to you as you headed inside. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See you next time ;)


	11. I am the fucking cops

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no self control with posting... this was supposed to be released on monday... but i'd do anything for you guys! 
> 
> I won't keep you long, but just a quick question. would you guys be interested in a Flip/Break the Chain groupchat on snapchat? You would just get a bunch of me being in idiot... Let me know what y'all think!!   
> -Dal

You were nervous. 

Shit, if it had anything to do with Flip, you were nervous. Butterflies lived in your stomach around that man. 

You looked up to your reflection at the hotel bar you were sitting at, trying to see how you looked between the liquor bottles against the shelf. You saw your dark wavy hair resting just past your shoulders. It was too dark to see your makeup, but you knew your brown eyeshadow laid across your lids. 

You sat up a little straighter to see the top of your dress. 

Red. 

It contrasted well against your dark hair. You bit your lip as you rubbed your charm on your necklace between your thumb and index finger. You didn’t notice how low cut the dress was until now... 

You sighed as you looked down at your legs. You almost felt exposed in such a dress. 

You shrugged into your seat to take a sip from your drink. You needed something to ease the nerves since it was your first time going out on such a fancy dinner. 

Correction. First time going out on such a fancy dinner… Ever. 

Since Flip stayed in town to ‘check on things’, he suggested you two have a nice dinner to catch up. You know… since you ghosted him for a week. 

Oops. 

You two decided to meet at the biggest hotel in downtown. He had to swing by the station, but told you to meet him at the bar in the lobby. His specific orders were to take an Uber there, so he could take you home. Thinking about that made you nervous again. You took a deep breath, taking a bigger sip this time. 

You were in your own thoughts when a man stumbled up towards the bartender, leaning against the counter. He slurred his words as he ordered a Manhattan with Rittenhouse whiskey. He was in a business suit, with a few buttons undone. You imagined he was in meetings all day, and now he was trying to blow some steam. You quickly realized you were looking a little too long when the man looked over at you. Not even looking at your face, might you add. He went directly to your body. 

“Why, aren’t you a pretty thing… here all alone?” He stepped closer, still leaning against the bar for support. You could smell the liquor on his breath. He took a sip of his freshly made drink.

“No. I’m waiting for someone.” you said bluntly, not making eye contact with him. You didn’t want to give him any cues on you being okay with him talking to you. 

“Looks like you’re all alone to me.” this man, of course, didn’t catch onto your vibe as he ran the back of his finger up and down your arm. 

You looked up at the bartender, eyes screaming for help, but he was busy on the other side of the bar. 

You shrugged his touch away, but it only made him step closer to you. 

“You know… I have a room here… aaallll the way at the top. Only big players stay up there.” he went back to caressing you up and down with his finger, only this time he moved to your back. 

“You look so sad down here by yourself… I think if you come with me, I could change that…” he was now leaning in, whispering in your ear. You cringed your face. He didn’t just smell like liquor. He reeked of it. You closed your eyes trying to get the courage to tell him to fuck off.

Before you could, you felt his hand drawing dangerously low on your back. You looked over at the man, as he was now looking back towards your ass. That’s when you felt his hand squeezing where his eyes laid.

Before you could react, you heard Flip. 

“Hey!” You and the drunken man whipped your head in his direction. Flip was stomping over as you shoved the guys hold off of you. 

Poor guy. He took a step back, almost running into you as Flip pointed his finger in his face. It was smart that he was scared. You’ve never seen Flip this angry. 

“H-hey man, what's your problem?” He held his hands up, with his drink in one of his hands. 

“My problem?” Flip questioned. He stared down at the guy, almost laughing. 

You grabbed your drink and stood up from your chair, walking over to stand behind Flip. You looked around, as the entire bar was looking at the commotion forming in front of you. 

“My problem is that she’s clearly not interested in you, and you keep putting your fucking hands on her.” Flip was pointing his finger again. 

“Hey man, I didn’t do anything to you! Just get your drink and go!” The guy stood up straighter, feeling more confident. Big mistake. You took a sip of your drink as you watched this unravel.

“How ‘bout I put my hands on you, and see if you fucking like it.” Flip took a step closer, still talking with his hands. This caused the guy to take another step back, running into the chair you were once in. 

“Hey man, I don’t want any trouble, but I won't hesitate to call the cops on you!” He set his drink down on the bar, reaching into his pockets and holding out his phone. 

You heard Flip laugh as he dug into his back pocket of his jeans. You watched as the guy flinched when Flip shoved his badge in his face. 

“I am the fucking cops.” 

You bit your lip. That shouldn’t have turned you on. 

You looked over to the guy putting his cell phone away. Flip pointed his finger behind him in your direction. 

“Apologize to her.” You looked over at Flip. Even though you only saw the back of him, you knew how badly you wanted him in that moment. 

This creep just kept ruining your night. He cleared his throat, pulling you away from your thoughts. You looked over to him, being really bad at hiding the disgust on your face.

“I-I’m sorry…” The guy whispered. You could feel his embarrassment from here as everyone watched him. 

Flip shoved his badge back into his back pocket and turned towards you, dismissing the guy. You watched as he threw a few bills on the bar and walked out with his head down. You looked up at Flip when he was out of view, setting your drink down on the counter. 

“Are you okay?” he lifted his hand to the back of your head, caressing your hair.

It was a few moments before you answered him. 

“Thank you…” you trailed off looking down at your fidgeting hands. You didn’t want to think what would have happened if he didn’t come when he did. You bit your lip when you met his eyes again. “I’m okay.” 

“Did that asshole ruin your night?” he questioned, placing his other hand on your hip, pulling you closer to him. He rested his hand on your lower back.

You couldn’t help but smile up at him. He was being so protective over you. You bit your lip again while you shook your head. 

“You saved it.” 

Flip smiled down to you. “Glad to hear it.” 

He caressed your hair again. “Wanna get another drink?” 

You shook your head again still biting your lip, which caused a wrinkle to form in between his brows. 

“I have something better in mind…” you trailed off. You motioned your head over to the bathroom sign towards the left. 

He looked over and quickly looked back down at you with a smirk on his face. He leaned in, whispering in your ear. 

“You dirty girl.” 

He looked around making sure no one was watching and grabbed your hand, leading you in the direction of the bathroom. 

He was first, making sure no one was in the bathroom stalls. When he was pleased to find no one there, he dragged you into the stall and locked it. 

It all felt too familiar, but you weren’t complaining. 

He pressed his body against yours, already feeling the pressure growing in his jeans against your thigh. You felt as he left sweet kisses up and down your neck. His fingers pressing into your hip, pulling you closer to find some friction against his jeans. 

“Fuck, you look so good in this dress.” He whispered in your ear, biting your ear lobe softly. He moved one of his hands to your leg as he leaned down, kissing your lips. Your skin caught on fire as he traced up and down your thigh, getting closer and closer to your entrance. You bit your lip, trying to suppress a moan. 

You were failing. 

When you couldn’t take it anymore you shot your hands to his jeans. You needed to touch him. Make him feel good. You wanted so badly to make him feel good. 

When you unzipped his pants, your hand snaked into his jeans. You wrapped your hand around his throbbing length, trying your best to move up and down in the small space of his jeans. You looked up at him as he reached both hands above your head, gripping the top of the bathroom stall. 

You’ve never seen him react like this. His eyes were closed while he bit his lip, trying not to moan. This of course just caused your movements to go faster. You wanted a reaction from him. You desperately needed one. 

_ “Fuuucckk.”  _ He hissed through his teeth. 

Finally. 

You couldn’t help but smirk up at him. That’s when his eyes opened and met yours. You heard a grunt come from his chest when he grabbed your arm, yanking your hand out of his jeans. When your arm was free, he directed his hand to the hem of your dress, lifting it above your hips. 

“You’re my good girl… always so fucking dirty.” His other hand gripped your jaw. His hold on you made it easy to manipulate your head. He lifted your jaw, directing your lips onto his. 

When he pulled away, he leaned down and placed his hands on each side of your bottom. He squeezed as he lifted you up, your legs wrapping around his waist. 

“Hold onto me.” He whispered in your ear. You followed his orders as you bit your lip. You watched him yank his jeans low enough to free his length. You felt his fingers snake it’s way to your panties, shoving them over to one side. 

He slapped his hand over your mouth as he snapped his hips, splitting you open as he pushed through your folds. His pace was fast, as you didn’t have a lot of time before someone walked in. 

You moaned against his hand as his eyes met yours. He leaned in, staring a little harder. He was struggling as he snapped his hips a little harder, causing a grunt to slip from his throat. 

“No one is allowed to touch you. Only me.” He grunted. “You’re fucking mine.” He hissed. He uncovered your mouth, watching you slide up and down on the bathroom stall with each thrust. He wrapped his arms behind your knees now, pounding a little harder into you. 

“You understand me? Mine.” He moaned in your ear. Very loudly at that. It got the ball rolling as it caused you to grab a fistful of his hair while you felt the growing pressure in your abdomen. 

“Flip!” It was all you could get out. You heard him grunt once more as he met with your ear again. 

“S-say it.” He stuttered. His thrusts grew sloppy as you yanked on his hair. 

“Only yours…. no one else!  _ Fuck! _ ” You felt his hand across your mouth again as you moaned loudly again. 

“My girl…” he moaned against your neck as he rode out both of your highs. He kissed your neck once more before setting you down. 

You ran your hands through your hair before pulling down your dress. You wadded some toilet paper into your hands, wiping the proof of your quickie away from your thigh. 

Flip stuffed himself back into his jeans, looking over to you. When he was decent, you unlocked the stall and walked towards the mirror. 

You looked at yourself to make sure you were decent before you set out into the world again. Not much to fix, other than a few knots that formed in the back of your head. You ran your fingers through it before averting your eyes to a different part of the mirror, onto Flip. He was leaning against the wall, watching you. When you were finished with your hair you turned around, leaning against the sink, returning his gaze. 

“What is it, Zimmerman?” You joked. “I got something on my face?” 

Flip lifted himself from the wall and walked over to you, placing his large hands around your full hips. He hummed to himself. 

“You look amazing in this dress…” he trailed off as he leaned in. “Just thought you should know.” He whispered against your lips before placing his on yours. He grabbed you, wrapping his arms around you, pulling you closer to him. 

It was a different type of kiss. It was a slow and deep kiss, as he was taking his time. He ran one of his hands up and down your back, trying to get as much of you as he could. Your arms instinctively wrapped around his broad shoulders, fingers intertwining in his hair. 

When he pulled away, his gaze went back and forth between your eyes. Just staring. 

You took a shaky breath in. “T-Thank you again… For earlier…” it came out as a whisper since he was studying your face.

He shook his head. “If someone ever touches you like that again… you fucking tell me.” it sounded like he growled. Oh he was getting pissed again, and you loved it. You looked up at him with a smile on your face. 

“Calm down, big guy. You’ll be the first person to know.” You tugged lightly on his hair.

“Let’s get that drink, shall we?” you loosened yourself from his hold and stepped towards the door, leading back to the bar. When he just stood there, watching you walk away, you couldn’t help but laugh at him. You held your hand out for him. He slipped his large hand around yours and you softly tugged him out the door with you.

There was no way that asshole ruined your night. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a LOT of stuff is about to happen, so buckle up... ;)


	12. Flip's feeling

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oops i got tipsy and decided to post early... I'm really proud of this chapter, and i'm hoping you guys will love it as much as i do!! 
> 
> enjoy!  
> -dal

Flip was mentally making a list in his mind about the things he liked about you. 

He couldn’t help it. His desk and paperwork were always messy, sure. What people didn’t know about him was that he had it all in his head. 

He watched as you sipped on your Jack Rose cocktail that he ordered for you. You licked your lips, savoring the taste. You were going on about your week working in the trauma hall. Your face lit up without sparing him the gory details. 

That was one thing on his list. You were passionate about what you did. He saw you first hand while you were in your battle field. Sure it was to stitch him up, but he could tell in that moment how important your work was to you. 

Another thing was when you taught him. Flip could normally keep up with your medical talk. Most of the time he could use context clues to figure out the jist of it all, but he pretended he didn’t know that way you could explain it to him. He loved watching your eyes light up while you explained stuff to him. 

Flip sat back and watched as you laughed at some dumb joke he told. 

That’s another thing. Your laugh. You were always so genuine with it. He noticed that you always leaned in closer to him when the corners of your mouth went ear to ear. 

His fingers were playing with the ends of your hair as you were talking about how Jen was excited to go with Ron. He nodded his head, but the only thing he could focus on was your hand. Your delicate touch was resting on his thigh. You would lightly squeeze it every once in a while, looking up at him. Almost like you were making sure he was paying attention to you. 

What you didn’t know was, he was always paying attention to you. 

Flip wrapped his arm around your waist when you gave another light squeeze to his thigh. He bit his lip as he yanked you towards him, causing you to come in contact with his chest. Your hands landed on his torso, as a little yelp came out of your mouth. This caused him to smile down at you. 

There’s another thing on his list. You were always so shy when he looked at you long enough. He watched as you looked down at your fidgeting hands. 

A few moments went by before he heard you speak again. 

“I’m sorry...” a whisper out of your mouth. This caused his face to twist in confusion. 

“For what?” He questioned. He waited for your answer even though he was already willing to forgive you. 

“For the past week… When I went awol.” You still weren’t looking at him. Flip raised your chin with his finger. He looked into your eyes, getting lost in them. 

He thought back to last week. The messages and calls you missed probably didn’t seem desperate to you, but they were to him. He thought back to him pacing in circles around his desk at work. Waiting for his phone to ring. Waiting to hear back that you were there.

That you were safe. 

That you were  _ alive.  _

He didn’t want to admit that you were all that he thought about, and that it killed him not to see you.

He could hear Ron sighing from his own desk. Ron was trying to finish the last of his paperwork before leaving town. 

“Come on man, you’re making me dizzy.” Ron set his pen down. “If you’re that worried, just go see her!” 

Flip knew there was no way in hell he was going to that convention. He wasn’t leaving you alone. He stopped in his tracks and looked over to Ron. He puffed on the lit cigarette in his hand. 

He debated. He didn’t want to freak you out, but he needed to see you. Not only was he worried about you, but he  _ missed _ you. 

Flip leaned in, giving a quick peck on your soft lips, snapping out of it. 

“It’s alright… Did you at least miss me?” He smirked down at you. He watched that award winning smile on your face again. He knew he made you feel better already. You didn’t deserve anything other than happiness. 

“Terribly.” It was fucking music to his ears. 

It really was a long week. 

You flashed another smile towards him, and excused yourself to the bathroom. That’s when Flip’s mind started going a mile a minute as he watched you walk away. He sipped on his beer as he thought back. 

He remembered waking up to find you reading his case file that afternoon. Normally that wouldn’t be such a big deal, but this wasn’t like any other case Flip has experienced before. 

He was relieved to find out you didn’t get to the last page. There was one crucial piece of information he didn’t want you to find out… 

That’s when he flashed back to that day he brought you to the station. 

  
  
  
  
  


Echoes of five separate footsteps screamed in his head. It was almost deafening. Then it stopped. 

“You’ve been digging your nose where it doesn’t belong, Zimmerman.” Flip followed Abigor’s gaze, staring at the only thing that gave him hope in that run down room. There you were, standing. Watching them. He could see the worry on your face.

“I would hate if your personal life were  _ sacrificed  _ in the meantime…” Those black eyes were brought back over to Flip with a smirk. He watched as Abigor sliced an ‘X’ over his own heart. 

Oh, Flip was going to murder this asshole. He knew he was threatening him… but mostly importantly… he was threatening  _ you _ . 

Flip watched as Abigor and his henchmen walked away. Leaving himself and Ron. Flip didn’t care though. He was already making his walk over to you, when Ron stopped him. 

“Why did you bring her here and put her at risk?” Ron whispered. “You’re putting her in danger just by-”

He didn’t need a lecture. What he needed was to get to you, and get out of there. He knew he fucked up, but he didn’t need to be reminded. He walked away cutting him off as he was finally by your side. He needed to get you somewhere safe. 

He called his chief the first chance he got while you were asleep that night. The chief told him to file a report and add it to the case file. He also mentioned to stop seeing you. It was ultimately better for your safety, but Flip could never do that. He never even contemplated that. Losing all contact with you? He would be dumb to do that. 

He couldn’t imagine what would go through your head if you found that report. So he did what anyone would do in that situation. Hide it. 

He was going to tell you. He really was. He made that promise to himself, but things were just going so well with you, and he knew something like this would put a damper on it. 

Flip took another sip of his beer as his leg bounced. He tried to shake off the worry that was creeping up on him. Since that day he was on high alert. 

He hated leaving you by yourself. Of course you were safest with him, but he couldn’t always keep you with him. What a shame. To keep his good girl by his side? He would never get any work done. He bit his lip while his mind quickly remembered the bathroom stall from earlier that night. 

It wasn’t logical to always be with you, so he did what he could. He made sure you weren’t alone while out in the open, made sure you had enough security in your home, and made sure to check on you while you were at work. 

Flip’s attention was refocused on that red dress, making its way from across the room towards him. He once again bit his lip. He noticed how you watched your feet while you walked. Always so shy. It was the cutest thing in the world. 

But that’s when Flip got an uneasy feeling. He drifted his eyes towards the bar entrance right behind you. He felt his pulse quicken at what he saw. 

Two men in suits were staring at you. 

These guys weren’t like the creep he dealt with earlier. Not at all. Flip did a quick assessment. You always taught him assessments were critical in serious situations. Gotta know what you’re dealing with before you dive in head first. 

Two men in their mid 40’s. Black hair slicked back. The next thing Flip noticed was their watches. Gold. Expensive. 

Flip quickly looked over to you noticing they kept eye contact with you, watching you approach the booth. Flip looked back over to them as you stepped up. 

His body went against his wishes and stood up from the booth when he caught a glimpse of something. 

One of the men leaned over to whisper something to the other. That’s when his jacket came undone, revealing his side. Some sort of strap… That’s when it hit him.

A gun. 

Flip grabbed your arm, pulling you in closer to him. He admitted that it was more of a yank, catching you off guard. You looked up at him as your face twisted. He took a deep breath, looking down at you. 

“I’m starving. Let’s go eat.” He hoped that it would somewhat explain. 

Your eyes blinked up at him, still confused. 

“Uh… sure.” 

Flip wrapped his arm around your waist, pulling you in a bit closer. Even though you were confused, you still embraced into him, wrapping your arm around him. His gaze shot towards the men, now sitting at the bar. The one with the gun was on the phone, staring at you. The other one was staring at him. Watching to see what Flip would do. 

Flip could see that you were looking up at him, making sure he was okay. But of course he couldn’t tell you he wasn’t. He held his breath as he led the both of you towards the door, watching the men as you walked past them. 

The one on the phone took his eyes off of you and stared back at Flip, smirking. 

_ Fuck. _

Flip slowly released his breath when you two made it past the threshold of the bar, leading back out to the lobby of the hotel. He just wanted to take you home. It was safer there. But that would cause questions that he didn’t want to answer. 

“Are you okay?” he looked down at you, but your gaze didn’t meet his. You were looking behind you, towards the bar.

Shit, she was assessing. 

Flip stopped walking and directed your head with his finger under your chin again. He switched between both of your eyes as you stared back at him. 

“I’m with you aren’t I?” He leaned in a little closer. “You hungry?” He hoped it would change the subject. He knew he succeeded when you smiled up at him, nodding your head. 

There’s another thing on his list. Your ability to trust him. 

He pressed his lips against yours, wrapping his arms around you, pulling you in closer against his chest. He couldn’t help but smile against your kiss when your hands found his chest. He immediately regretted pulling away. 

Ah. One more thing. Your lips. They were always so soft. 

“Hmm… Don’t make me take you back into that bathroom…” he watched as your face turned red, looking around to make sure no one heard him. 

That’s when Flip got another feeling. It wasn’t like before with the men at the bar though. It wasn’t unease or anxiety. 

It was more… comforting. He wasn’t sure what it was. He just couldn’t put his finger on it, but he always felt it when he was around you. He got lost as he watched your shiny hair whip side to side, looking around. He felt that feeling grow as you looked back up at him. 

“Zimmerman-”

Fuck, he loved it when you called him that. 

“-are you trying to get me in trouble?” 

He watched as you looked up at him, batting your eyelashes, causing him to shake his head at you with a smirk on his face. 

“No… But let’s go before I change my mind, shall we?” 

He released his arms around you as he stepped towards the side of you. He placed his hand on your lower back, leading you two towards the restaurant. He noticed you were looking around, amazed by how big the place was. He was honestly amazed too. Even though he was busy checking his back, he noticed how high the ceilings were. 

Mary, his favorite waitress at Charlie’s Diner, suggested he take you here. She could tell by the growing collection of cigarettes in the ashtray that he was nervous. She patted his hand and smiled at him. 

“You should take her somewhere nice…” she drifted off thinking. “What about something in downtown! Before my Danny passed he would always take me to The Bishkek! Has a restaurant and everything!” 

  
  
  


Flip requested a table at the back. He needed to be hidden in plain sight. He didn’t want to constantly check his surroundings while he was trying to enjoy his time with you. 

“I don’t think I’ve ever been in such a fancy place…” you whispered as if you would get in trouble for bringing attention to it. 

He tried to hide a smile as he leaned in whispering back. “Me either.” 

  
  
  
  


Flip hated himself. All you wanted to do was have a good time. Enjoy his time with you. Have a nice dinner without any distractions. He couldn’t give you that. At least not tonight. He still looked over his shoulder, half listening to you. He caught himself almost fake laughing at your jokes and left some of your questions unanswered.

You didn’t deserve this. You deserve someone that could keep you safe, and pay attention to you. 

  
  
  


When he paid the bill, he walked you back to his truck in silence. Of course still checking over his shoulder. 

  
  
  


You were quiet and you stayed like that until he pulled into his own driveway. 

“I thought we were going back to my place?” Your voice was quiet. He could tell you didn’t even want to ask. 

He exhaled his breath through his nose, clenching his jaw. He didn’t know how to tell you that it was safer for you to stay with him. That he just needed to be with you tonight, and hold you close so he knew you were going to be fine. 

When he didn’t say anything, you got out of the truck and walked towards the front door of his house. 

“Shit.” He murmured to himself. He got out of the truck and followed you. When he stepped in front of you, he reached his arm out to place his hand on your hip. You were upset. He could tell by your crossed arms and the staring contest you were having with your feet. 

Your name fell off his lips. When you looked up at him, he could feel the sadness roll off of you. 

Your name fell off his lips once more. His hand reached for your hair, tucking it behind your ear. His gaze switched between your eyes, carefully watching you. You still looked sad. 

His heart was breaking seeing you like this. 

His hand slipped to the side of your face, very carefully caressing your cheek with his thumb, like he was scared he was going to shatter you. He didn’t know what to do. He wished he could restart the night. His heart just about melted when you leaned into his touch, closing your eyes. 

He leaned in, softly placing his lips on yours. He was honestly surprised you kissed him back, with those lips that were slowly reaching for the top of the list. 

He felt cold when you pulled away from the kiss. 

“Let’s go inside.” Your words sent shivers down his spine. He fully expected you to push him away and demand for him to drive you home. 

He set a world record for how fast he opened his door. Flip glanced around at his street before he shut the door and locked it behind him. 

You were already making your way upstairs by the time he turned over. He watched as your full hips swayed side to side with each step. That feeling creeping up on him again. This time he felt it in his chest. 

He took a quick breath and followed you up the stairs. He turned in the direction of his bedroom, and that's where the red decided to stop. You were standing at the doorway looking in, waiting for him at the threshold. He took a few steps, and he stopped by your side, placing a hand on your lower back. He held his breath not knowing what you were going to do next. 

You looked up at him, biting your lip. He could have sworn he saw tears forming in your eyes, but it was too dark to be for sure. His heart shattered again.

_ ‘All my fault.’  _ Flip’s mind kept repeating this.

His body moved instinctively. His arms snaked out your waist, pulling you closer. You looked up at him with those eyes. They seemed like they were already starting to dry. 

Flip smiled as he found you standing on your tippy toes. He didn’t have to think twice before leaning down and placing his lips on yours. 

He had to admit. The kisses he shared in his bedroom in the past… Didn’t feel like this, but to be fair… those kisses weren’t with you. 

That feeling in his chest grew as he felt your hands tangling in the ends of his hair, sending chills down his spine once again.

Flip adjusting his hold on you, pulling you in closer to him. That’s when he heard you giggling from under him. He pulled away from the kiss and looked down at you. You were, in fact, smiling. 

Flip kissed your forehead, keeping his lips planted on your forehead. He closed his eyes and whispered. “I’m sorry about tonight.” 

That's when you were ripped away from him. You got out from under his hold, grabbing his hand as you stepped back, and tugged him in the room. 

You sat on the edge of his mattress, waiting for him, like he was taking such a long time. He planted his happy ass next to you. Watching you as you bit your lip. 

You released your grip on his hand and moved it to his shoulder. 

Flip carefully watched as you stood up, and lifted your legs one by one. Resting your knees on either side of his thighs, as you straddled him. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest as he kept his eyes on you. 

You were now gripping the hem of your dress. His breath hitched as you ever so painfully, lifted the hem of your dress over your entire body. Very slowly. He kept his eyes on you as he heard the light  _ thump _ of the dress falling on the floor. You now were settling yourself on his lap. He felt your hand run up and down his chest. It was painful to see you like this. Naked, all by yourself? It should be against the law. 

He watched as your fingers went to task to unbutton his shirt. He couldn’t help it. One hand slapped down on your bottom, feeling it jiggle against him. A moan came from his throat. He bit his lip, as he found the thing he liked about you the most. 

You jumped at the contact of his skin, biting your lip. He couldn’t help himself as another moan slipped from his throat. You tugged his shirt sleeves to his elbows, struggling. A smile formed on his face as he helped you finish your task. He heard another  _ thump _ as his shirt joined your dress. 

He loved you on top of him, but at this moment in time he needed to show you how sorry he was. How stupid he felt for putting you through this. How much he wanted to make you feel good. How much you  _ deserved  _ it. 

He wrapped his arms around your thighs, gripping tightly as he flipped your back onto the mattress. Hands on either side of your head as he looked down at you. He took a second to himself. At that moment, he felt  _ really  _ lucky that you decided to stay. 

He leaned down, whispering against your lips “my girl…” before placing his lips on yours. His heart smiled as you kissed him back. He felt your warm touch as he felt your hands running up and down his back.

He deepened the kiss as he balanced himself on one hand. The other was busy running up and down your side, feeling your warmth under his hand. Chills formed on your skin as he moved his hand closer to between your legs. You were already arching your back and spreading open your legs, impatiently waiting for him. 

“Flip…” you whined. This caused him to chuckle against your skin as he was now kissing your neck.

You waited long enough. He slipped his fingers into your entrance, immediately noticing how wet you were already. A quiet moan left your mouth as he started circling around your clit. Your chest moving up and down with your fast breaths, as you moaned louder and louder. 

Flip felt you squirming under his body, wanting more. Flip brought his head up from your neck, watching you under him. He bit his lip as he stared down at you, trying to remember every little detail he could. Your eyes were closed while you bit your lip. He could feel your legs starting to tremble against his. The deep breaths you were taking caused your full breasts to jiggle in just the right way that he loved so much. He watched as your hand made it up to your hair, scrunching it as you moaned loudly. 

Flip circled around your clit faster as your entire body started trembling. He was trying to let you have your moment, but he couldn’t help but buck his hips against your thigh, getting some sort of friction against his growing length in his jeans. Watching you lose yourself was the hottest shit he’s ever seen. 

“Flip… I need you.” 

Fuck he could cum off of those words. He licked his lips as he lost contact with your wet entrance. He got off the bed, standing up and taking off the remainder of his clothes. He noticed how you sprawled out on his bed. His girl on display… just for him. 

He crawled on top of you again, noticing your eyes followed his every move. He noticed chills formed on your skin once again as he snaked his hand towards his length. He slowly pushed himself into your entrance, eyes rolling back as he felt how wet and tight you were against him. 

_ “Fffuucckk”  _ slipped out of his mouth as he picked up the rhythm of his hips. Your loud moans filled the room as a grunt ripped through his throat. He felt embarrassed that he was already this close to cumming. It just felt different this time. 

He wasn’t slapping you or choking you like he normally did. The sex was usually dirty and he loved it, but this time he just wanted to savor every second of it with you. He kept his body close to yours as his hips picked up the pace. He never wanted to go a moment without keeping in contact with your skin. 

He looked down to your face. You were once again closing your eyes, trying to feel all of him. This caused him to moan again, which shot your eyes open. Flip met your eyes as another grunt came from his throat. 

“Fuck!” was shouted from your mouth as you wrapped your legs around him, causing him to hit your G-spot. He felt your stomach touch his as you arched your back a little more. His hand reached out to one of your legs, pushing it towards your chest, causing him to hit your cervix. 

He hissed as your fingers scratched up and down his back as your walls started to spasm around him. 

“Flip!” Left your mouth as a moan. 

Show time. 

“My girl…”

He always loved watching you twitch under him, getting filled up by his load. His thumb found your clit as he circled away, letting you hit all your highs. The room was filled with your screams and his grunts. 

_ “Fffuucckk!”  _ Flip moaned against the little space between your neck and shoulder. When he came back to reality, he felt your hand tangling in his hair as you were catching your own breath. 

He brought his head up to look down at you. He felt his heart skip a beat when you smiled up at him. 

That feeling in his chest grew bigger and bigger. 

Flip knew what that feeling was, but he was too scared to admit it. It was so long since he felt it. He was non stop throwing himself in work and hooking up to even come close to that feeling. Things changed from the moment he saw you in that bar. 

He felt his heart skip a beat again as he leaned down to kiss you. He placed his lips on yours softly, as he adjusted himself to lay next to you. 

He pulled away from the kiss, and pulled you closer to him. Your back laid against his chest when he wrapped his arm around your waist. You pulled the covers over you two, as you scooted closer to him. 

He closed his eyes even though his mind was racing. It was quiet for a moment until your soft snores filled the room. He noticed that even in your sleep you moved closer to his touch. He caressed his finger up and down your arm as he thought. 

At that moment he decided. 

He was going to do everything he could to keep you safe. 


	13. Careless

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh my god are you guys ready?! I wont keep you guys waiting any longer...  
> get ready...  
> -dal

You woke up to an empty bed. Not always the best feeling in the world, but the empty space was still warm, so he couldn’t have left that long ago. 

That’s when you heard the shower turn on. You stretched out, trying to get rid of the sleepiness still washed over your body. Flashes of last night flooded your mind, trying to remember what happened. 

You sat up on the edge of the bed, eyes still closed, as you started thinking about Flip. He was acting so weird last night and he wouldn’t explain to you why. You felt like you weren’t in any position to ask him or God forbid, fight about it. So you just let it go. You decided that he made up for it anyways. 

You rubbed your eyes until they finally opened. They went straight to the clothes thrown onto the floor from last night, which caused you to bite your lip. You always saw him switching. Slapping, choking, and  _ fuck _ the way he spoke to you… It was something you’ve only experienced with him. You thought back to all those times. Not only when he was so rough with you, but after? He was always making sure you were okay or that he didn’t hurt you. 

Last night was new. 

He was almost being…  _ careful _ with you. He paid attention to you and only you. It made you feel special. It also made you feel like his girl… Just like he always tells you. Caressing your body and working on you for so long. It honestly felt like forever until you practically begged him to hurry up. He showed you a different side to him last night. Something you could get used to. 

Your gaze averted to his side table, trying to see what time it was. Your eyes never made it to his alarm clock though. You wanted to gasp, but your body was in shock at what you saw. 

A fucking gun.

You stood up, taking a few steps back. All the nights you two spent together, he never had that shit out like that. Either he put it in a safe place, or didn’t bring it at all. What was he thinking?? You shook your head. He was being absent minded about something so dangerous. 

You could feel your blood boiling. There were so many patients you took care of with injuries from guns. Specifically being  _ careless  _ with them. You sighed, turning your head towards the bathroom. The light was on and you could see steam seeping out through the crack in the door he left. You bent down and grabbed his flannel, since you were still naked. You got enough courage to not only put on his shirt, but to walk into the bathroom. 

You almost felt awkward walking in. Like it was your first time seeing him. You took a slow breath in as you slowly opened the door, squinting your eyes as you adjusted to so much light. 

“Flip?” you whispered. You saw his shadow behind his shower curtain step over. His hand pushed aside the curtain enough for his head to pop out. You noticed his eyes were roaming, paying specific attention to the flannel and your bare legs. 

“W-why is your gun out?” you stuttered. You took a deep breath as you ignored the warmth starting in between your legs. You suddenly remembered what happened the last time you wore his flannel. 

“Come here.” His eyes now met yours with his firm voice. Your breath hitched at his response. You took slow steps towards him as you fidgeted with his sleeves around your arms. 

When you finally stepped up to the shower, you looked up at him, wanting to stay on subject. 

“Flip… Did you hear me? Is it loaded?” you questioned. You watched as his eyes were in a staring contest with your lips. 

“Flip…” You trailed off. His eyes met yours again. It was a second before he spoke. 

“Take that off and get in here.” he ignored your questions again. 

You felt your stomach drop to your ass. You wanted to get answers, but this looked way more fun… 

So you followed his commands. You dropped the flannel on the floor, back where it belonged and took a step closer, watching him watch you. 

Your arms instinctively crossed, simultaneously trying to gather as much body heat as you could, and hiding as much as you could. You felt Flip’s hand wrap around your arm gently, and led you into the shower. He shifted over so you could stand under the shower stream. You closed your eyes as you attempted to run your fingers through your tangled hair. Your breath stopped as you felt Flip’s large hands rubbing up and down your sides, warming you up and spreading the warm water over you. When you were done with your hair, you slowly opened your eyes at him. He was already staring down at you. 

He slipped his hand on the side of your neck, with his thumb caressing your cheek… ever so softly. You closed your eyes once again, leaning into his touch. You felt his lips on yours as he kissed you softly again. When you kissed him back, you felt his arm wrap around you, pulling in closer to him. Your hands rested on his wet chest, as you stepped closer to him. You could feel his growing length on your inner thigh as you deepened the kiss. 

Flip’s arm around you tightened, as a grunt left his chest. He was now blindly leading you towards the wall of the shower. You gasped as your back came in contact with the cold tile, pulling away from the kiss. Flip adapted. He leaned down and kissed up and down your neck, hands now trailing up your sides, and enclosing around your full breasts. You let your head rest against the tile behind you as you let out a soft moan. 

“Hm… Flip..” fell off your lips as a whisper. It seemed to scream at him as he brought his head up. You heard him growl as he placed his hands on your hips. It happened quickly as he shoved your front side against the cold tile now.

You felt his hand slap down hard against your bottom, which caused another grunt to slip his throat. Your eyes stayed focused on the tile in front of you as you felt hands roaming all around your body. You paid particular attention to his right hand, though. He was slowly snaking it around and down between your legs. You felt your head fall back onto his shoulder as he rubbed tight circles around your clit. 

“You like that?” you could hear the hunger in his question. 

You were focused on your legs, and how to keep them from collapsing. You didn’t have enough brain power to speak. Not this early without caffeine. He would have to do with you nodding your head. 

You reached out and held onto the tile as he circled faster. You felt soft kisses being left on your forehead and temple as he leaned over. 

_ “Ffuucck.”  _ you hissed through your teeth. You squeezed your eyes shut now as his other hand was kneading your left breast. You arched your back, giving him more access. 

“Hmm… That’s my girl.” echoed in your ears. His deep voice was growing hungry. Starving, actually. 

“You look so good like this…” he hummed. His finger gathered more speed, which was causing your legs to tremble. 

“Look at you… acting like this just from my finger.” his words caused you to moan. 

“F-Flip” you stuttered. You didn’t know what you were trying to say... you just wanted to show him how good he was making you feel. 

“Hmm… What is it?” He was leaving kisses on your temple again. His voice was sweeter this time.

“Fuck!” You were quickly losing yourself. One of your hands left from the wall and was blindly searching behind you. You wrapped your hand around his length when you found it. You heard him grunt loudly in your ear as your hand moved up and down, matching his speed on your clit. 

The kisses on your temple turned sloppy. He was slowly forgetting what he was doing as the finger on your clit stopped mid circle. You couldn’t help but smirk to yourself, as you decided that he needed some attention. 

“Hmm…” his hand on your breast moved up to your neck, finger slowly circling again. You bit your lip trying to stay focused on your task. His hand wrapped around your throat, but he didn’t squeeze. No, he just held onto you. Letting you know that you were his. No one else’s. 

As if you needed reminding of that...

Your hand moved faster as he moaned against your skin, echoing in your ear. 

The hand between your legs was ripped away as it was now around your wrist, pulling your grip off of him. His hold was tight, as he directed your arm back towards the wall in front of you. When you kept your arm there, he then released his grip and made its way to your hip. 

“Bend over for me.” He whispered in your ear. Even though you were in the shower, you could feel yourself dripping at his words. 

You didn’t keep him waiting for long, of course. You followed his request as his hand on your hip guided you. When he was happy with your position, his hand left your hip and slapped down on your bottom again. You bit your lip, letting his moans fill your ears. 

You closed your eyes when you felt his hand caressing your bottom. 

“Always so good for me…” echoed in the shower. 

It wasn’t long until your eyes were rolling back as he pushed through your entrance, splitting you open. 

_ “Shit.”  _ you quietly moaned. Every few seconds he would push in a little further. Making sure you would take all of him. You felt your head drop as you started whimpering. His hands roaming your sides and back, making sure you were okay. 

After all these times with him… something felt different. The growing pressure in your lower abdomen accompanied something growing in your chest. Something you noticed that started last night… 

You bit your lip when he pushed the last few inches in. 

_ “Fuck!”  _ he hissed through his teeth. “You’re so tight.” 

You adjusted your grip on the tile in front of you as his hips started to pick up rhythm. He was gentle at first, almost like he was scared that he was going to break you. That feeling in your chest wasn’t going away... 

You felt a moan slip out as he grabbed your throat again. He picked your head back up with his grip as he picked up the pace of his hips. 

You heard your name slip from his lips as he moaned, “You feel so good.”

You felt your eyes roll back once more, as you moaned loudly, letting it echo throughout the bathroom. That’s when you felt the grip around your throat growing tighter. 

“Hmm… My girl feels so good.” 

You could hear the grunts ripping from his throat, as he snapped his hips harder against you. You tried to moan against the grip on your throat, but it wasn’t happening. Your fingernails scratched at what it could, trying to give you enough leverage to take enough oxygen in. You were failing. 

Your left hand dropped from the wall in front of you and made its way to his hand around your throat. You were trying to gasp for air and moan at the same time. 

Not the best thing to multitask at. 

He released the grip on your throat and intertwined his fingers with yours, holding your hand and leading it back to the wall in front of you two. When you were successful with your multitasking, you felt him lean in towards your shoulder. He left soft kisses around your shoulder that caused chills to form around them. 

“Flip…” you moaned. This seemed to set him off. He snapped his hips faster against your skin, and bit at your shoulder. His other hand snaked between your folds, rubbing at your clit that was screaming for attention. 

“Say my name again…” He said between bites. 

“Flip!” your moans were getting louder as your legs started to tremble. 

“M-my girl…” His hips were stuttering along with his words. “You’re the only one that can make me cum… you understand that?” You could imagine his wet hair getting in his face as he was losing himself. His face getting a little red as he rode both of your highs. You were almost mad you didn’t get to see it. 

“Flip! I’m gonna…” you trailed off as you felt him push your shoulders down, causing you to bend over more, hitting your g-spot. If it wasn’t for him holding you up, your legs would have given out as you felt your walls spasm against him. Your vision went fuzzy as you heard your screams fill the bathroom. 

It was a few minutes before you came down from your high, you felt his large hands on either side of your hips, turning you around to face him. You held your hands out to grip his arms, steadying yourself. You still had your head bowed down, looking down at the pair of feet. You suddenly became aware of the warm water hitting your back. One of his hands left your hip, and lifted your chin up by his finger. You could feel chills form on your entire body as he spoke your name. 

You blinked up at him. The feeling in your chest grew the longer you looked at him. You were honestly confused. The nurse in you started assessing. It wasn’t a palpitation or chest pain… So what was it?? 

You could see his mind running back and forth as he looked between both of your eyes. It was a minute before you heard him speak. 

“The safety is on.” His voice came out as a whisper. 

“What?” it took you a moment to realize what he was talking about. “Oh…” You trailed off. The gun. You took a deep breath in, as your hand found its way to his face, thumb carefully caressing his cheek. 

“Why is it out?” you questioned, hoping he would stay on topic this time. You watched as he bent down to grab the shampoo bottle, putting a dollop on his hand. When he set the bottle down, he rubbed his hands together, spreading it. You watched him carefully as he brought his hands up to your hair, carefully massaging his fingers onto your scalp. You wanted to stay serious with your line of questioning, but you couldn’t help but smile up at him. 

“I just forgot to put it up.” You watched as his eyes followed his fingers on your head. 

You bit your lip as your mind flashed back to dinner. He was acting  _ so  _ weird. You felt like he wasn’t telling you something then or now. You looked down at your feet, trying to gather enough energy to make it through the rest of the shower. You had no right to feel betrayed by him, but here you were, as your heart was slowly breaking. 

You felt his fingers stop working on your scalp. One of his hands left your head. He lifted your chin with his soapy finger, bending down. He was looking back and forth between your eyes. He stared for a few moments, before pecking his lips against yours. 

“You think you got enough sleep before work tonight?” he questioned. He started rinsing your hair under the stream. 

When you nodded your head, you leaned it back, letting the water do most of the work.

The rest of the shower wasn’t quite as eventful, but when you two were done, he drove you home to get ready for work. 

  
  
  


Your mind was preoccupied by him most of your shift. When are they not?

You couldn’t help it. The last two nights were busy. Flip defending you after that creep felt you up, your adventure in the bathroom, dinner, and your gut feeling that he wasn’t telling you something...

You were signing a transportation ticket when you were interrupted. You heard your name being shouted from across the hall. You whipped your head and saw Sharon. She was putting a gown and gloves on. 

“Lets go! We have a trauma coming in, we need you!” Sharon shouted across the hall. 

You looked over to the tech on your other side and shouted for them to finish signing. You shoved your pen in your pocket and ran towards Sharon and the trauma hall. 

You always got nervous coming into one of the trauma rooms. They were always so warm… 

You grabbed a gown and walked over to Sharon. “What do we have?” you asked her, now putting on your gloves. You saw her pull out a piece of paper with handwriting from her pocket.

“36 year old male, GCS level of 14. Gunshot wound to the left chest. Patient reports shortness of breath, so it’s possible that the lung was penetrated. They have an occlusive dressing taped on three sides in case he needs a chest tube. Blood pressure 72/44 heart rate 146. He’s currently on a non-rebreather mask.” 

“Does he have fluids running?” you interrupted her. 

“Uh… Yes. He’s getting his first bolus now..” She answered. 

“Is surgery on board already?” you watched as she nodded. 

“They should be here any minute.” 

You watched as a couple of first year residents circled around the bed. 

Sharon spoke your name slowly. You looked over to her. 

  
“What is it?” you saw the concern on her face. 

“They said it's a detective…” 

You heard your name being shouted from the ambulance bay before you could react. “They’re on scene, come on!” 

You grabbed your stethoscope, wrapped it around your neck and ran over towards the voice that called you. There were techs holding open the doors, hoping to stay out of the way as you saw the ambulance speeding towards the doors. You bit your lip, trying to prepare for the worst. You took a slow breath in as you saw that familiar red and white truck following behind the ambulance. 

You could feel your heart beating through your chest. 

When the ambulance came to a stop, you saw the back doors whip open. Two paramedics were running the stretcher over to you and the others waiting for them. One of the paramedics held up the IV bag, almost halfway done. 

That's when you looked over to the patient. 

Ron Stallworth. Flip’s partner. 

You shook your head back into reality and grabbed your stethoscope, listening to the various sounds as you followed the stretcher back into the trauma room. 

“I don’t have lung sounds on his left!” You shouted over the chaos starting. You helped transfer Ron over to the bed. 

“Someone get a chest tube kit!” you shouted again over the chaos. “Sharon, start another IV on him, 16 gauge if possible.” 

You looked around the room for a moment. You saw a tech standing there. 

“Put on some gloves and start putting some leads on him. I need an EKG.” 

You looked around again. This time you saw Flip. He was being held back by security at the entrance of the room. You could tell he was shouting profanities, but over the chaos in the room, you couldn’t hear them. He calmed down for a moment when his eyes locked on yours. 

It was left unsaid that he wanted you to save him. You took a deep breath in and nodded your head. When Flip nodded back, you looked back over to Ron.

“Hey, Ron…” you wanted to get his attention as they cut his clothes off and poked him with a million things. 

You saw his frantic eyes made its way over to you. You could tell he felt helpless.

“Do you know who I am?” you questioned as Sharon was starting the IV. He slowly shook his head no. 

“What about Jen? Do you remember Jen?” You were shining a light in his pupils. Responsive and about 3 millimeters. Good. 

That’s when he nodded his head, tears forming in his eyes. 

“What about Flip?” You looked over to the TV screen on the wall above everyone’s head, reading his heart rhythm. It looked like a kid was trying to draw a line on a bumpy car ride. 

You looked back over to Ron, as he was now unconscious. 

“He’s not breathing and he’s going into cardiac arrest, call a code blue and grab the crash cart!” You jolted yourself on top of the hospital bed, stradling Ron. You interlocked your fingers and started CPR. 

You were too busy to do anything else other than count in your head. It seemed like forever until the crash cart was brought into the room. You kept doing compressions until they got the pads on his chest. Sharon took over compressions as you got down from the bed. 

“Stand clear!” You shouted. You watched as everyone took a step back from the bed, holding their hands out. You pressed the green button and watched as Ron’s body jolted up. 

You looked back up towards the screen.

“No pulse.” Sharon went back to doing compressions. 

The machine beeped at you, saying it was fully charged. 

“Stand clear!” You shouted again. When everyone stepped back, you pressed the button again. 

Everyone sighed when a normal heart rhythm showed up on screen. One of the doctors shouted your name. 

“He’s stable enough. Let’s get him to the OR.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> how we feeling?? you guys okay? you good? take a deep breath... and keep your seat belt buckled.


	14. How could I be so stupid?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay I'm so glad I'm posting this now because I had a shitty morning getting off of work and what better way to get serotonin? from my amazing readers. 
> 
> Just a warning. there is switching of POV's in this chapter, so if it's confusing i'm sorry... I'll shut up now. I love you guys!  
> -dal

You hated this part. 

At least the very few times you had to do it. 

Usually the doctors would deal with this side of it, but considering the position you were in… You figured you should be the one to do it. 

You felt like you were drowning as your anxiety tore up from your stomach. It was ever so quietly climbing up towards your throat. You were almost gasping for air. You couldn’t take a full breath. 

You felt your stomach constantly dropping, over and over again. You thought you were going to be sick. Probably shouldn’t have had so much coffee… Fuck. Who knew this was going to happen though?

You saw some irony in it though. You could deal with all the sweat, blood and literal shit, but not this. 

Please, God, not this. 

_ “Hello?”  _ you heard Jen’s sleepy voice come through the other side of the phone. You took a slow breath in before you spoke. 

“Jen… Wake up… I need you to wake up.” You bit your lip as you walked out of the OR. You picked your phone up as soon as you scrubbed out. You felt your anxiety creep up as soon as Ron was under. You should have called her sooner… 

You then heard Jen whine your name. 

_ “I’m awake, shit! It’s 3 in the fucking morning, what is so important?”  _ She whined again. 

“Jen… It’s Ron…” you trailed off. You didn’t know how to break the news to her. 

_ “W-What is it?”  _ a split second went by.  _ “What happened?!”  _ you could hear her voice trembling. 

“I don’t know the details of it, but…” You pushed through the double doors leading out from the restricted area. You took another half assed breath. 

_ “But what?! Is he okay? Tell me!”  _ The sniffles started. You started walking back towards the trauma hall. If anyone had answers, it would be Flip. 

“He was shot.” You saw that familiar flannel at the end of the hall, when you heard your name through tears. 

_ “I-Is he… Oh, God! Is he okay? Please tell me he’s okay.”  _

You stopped dead in your tracks when you got a clearer view of Flip. 

There he was… with Lauren. Again. Tossing her long blonde hair like she was trying to attract the alpha male. Disgusting. 

Well that certainly didn’t help your anxiety. 

You couldn’t move. You just stood there, watching them. Helpless. You immediately noticed that it wasn’t like last time. Nope, not at all. He was engaging in conversation with her… keeping eye contact. Your heart was breaking for the second time that night. 

You heard your name through tears again, when Flip happened to turn his head towards you. You saw his facial expression drop immediately. Guess he knew it didn’t look so good. He started to walk over toward you.

“Look, he’s about to come out of surgery. You need to get up here. Now.” 

You felt the drowning again. This time, it got the job done, as you felt your throat drying up. You wanted to cry. 

Correction. You wanted to lock yourself in a closet and let out the most ugliest, curdling scream you could, while you cried yourself to sleep. 

But you didn’t do that. You settled on speed walking back towards the OR. He couldn’t get past the restricted area… Even with Lauren’s help. 

_ “O-Okay… I’ll be there as soon as I can.”  _ You could hear her rustling through some things as your heart rate pounded in your ears. 

You started hyperventilating when you heard the echo of Flip’s cowboy boots grow louder towards you. 

“Be careful… I don’t need you in a bed here either.” You looked back at Flip. Big mistake. He was getting closer. Damn his long legs. 

_ “Okay… I’ll see you in a bit.” _

You shoved your phone in the pocket of your scrub top as you turned your head back to your destination. You rushed to scan your badge. He couldn’t force his way in here, could he? 

You heard your name fall off those lips you were kissing not that long ago before you heard the doors slam shut behind you. The lips you thought were yours… 

_ How could I be so stupid? _

You slowed your pace. You figured you were safe. For now, at least. You would just have to wait for Jen here. 

  
  
  
  


You were thankful for Walter. He knew how extensive Ron’s case was, so he made sure he was your only patient. He knew Jen from the many holiday parties you brought her to. 

“Tell Jen we will take care of him.” Walter patted your shoulder before he walked away. 

You were also thankful for Sharon. If it wasn’t for her, you wouldn’t know what to do. She was quick to find and tell you that Lauren was basically pushing Flip into a corner. You weren’t shy to roll your eyes. 

“Doesn’t she have patients to take care of?” You could feel the lack of oxygen getting to your head. If you didn’t take a proper breath soon, you would pass out. 

“He’s not even listening to her… She practically followed him here.” 

Sharon leaned in a bit, whispering “He’s waiting for you outside...”

Before you could answer, you two whipped your heads towards the double doors. Shouting was coming from the other side. The ones that separated you and a certain someone. 

You jolted out of the seat you were in. You knew that voice. You ran and scanned your badge, opening the doors. 

“Get your hands off of me!” Jen’s voice was trying to decide if she was angry or sad. 

“Ma’am you can’t go through this entrance!” Lauren had one of her hands on Jen’s shoulders, trying to stop her. 

“How many times do I have to tell you!” Jen’s hand was shaking. 

“Walter told me to use this entrance.” You could see dried tears down Jen’s cheeks. 

“I don’t know why Walter would tell you that, but you don’t work here.” Lauren’s tone shifted when Flip came into view, like he gave her more confidence or something.

You hate to break it to her, but she just sounded like a bitch. 

“Get your fucking hands off me.” Jen hissed through her teeth. Oh, her voice decided now. It was angry. 

“You  _ can’t  _ go through here!” Lauren started to push Jen back by her shoulder. 

“Get. Off.” Jen warned. 

Lauren laughed. You looked over to Sharon as you two took a step closer. You could feel Flip staring at you. It took a lot of work to try and ignore him as you felt coffee churning in your stomach again. 

You were successful in ignoring him when you took a step closer to Jen and Lauren. You could feel the energy shift. 

“Listen lady-  _ ooph _ ”

Lauren was interrupted by Jen’s fist coming in contact with her pretty little face. You didn’t want to admit that your first instinct was to hold back a laugh when you saw that her makeup was smeared. 

Lauren gasped, as she released her grip on Jen, and found a new grip holding her face. Flip took two quick steps with his long legs and grabbed Jen, pulling her a few steps back. 

He didn’t grab her like she was a criminal, or that she just punched another nurse. No. He held her. Consoled her. 

He knew her pain. 

You wanted to join the fun and punch Lauren too when she looked down at her hand, expecting to see blood. What a fucking pussy. 

“Did you seriously do that?” Lauren’s voice cracked, almost like she was embarrassed.

That’s when you stepped up. 

“Jesus, Lauren. Her boyfriend was just shot. Get a fucking ice pack and get over it.” You could hear Jen sniffling again as she was reminded of what happened. You looked over at her as she started crying into Flip’s chest. 

“I-I’m pressing charges! You’re gonna be sorry you did that!” Lauren whined as she stepped closer to Flip. You could tell she wanted to be comforted by him. 

You grabbed Jen from him now, holding her under your arm. She hid her face in your neck as she cried more. 

“Lucky for you, there’s a police officer right here.” You looked up towards Flip. “She’s all yours, Zimmerman.” 

You saw Sharon step in front of Lauren. 

“Shh… It’s okay.” you whispered to Jen. You swiped your badge against the scanner on the wall. When the doors opened you felt Jen lift her head from your neck. She turned back towards Laren and flipped her off. 

This is why she was your best friend. 

When you heard Sharon giggle in the background, you guided Jen through the double doors. It was a second before you heard cowboy boots following behind you and Jen. 

When you stopped at Ron’s room, you guided her head from your neck. 

“He just got back from surgery, so it’ll be awhile until he’s up. Go see him and I’ll catch you up on what I know…” You watched as Jen slowly walked into his room and sat down on the fold out bed you set up for her. Your eyes went to the other side of the bed. You hated yourself for setting up a chair for him, even if you were mad at him. 

You then looked over to your side, seeing as Flip was still following you. 

“Don’t you have a police report to file or something?” It was a rhetorical question as you were walking towards the med cart set up across the hall. 

You typed your login and password as you heard cowboy boots follow. 

“Look… I was trying to get an update on him…” a whisper from his mouth. You could sense the guilt in his voice. 

You huffed, holding back a laugh as you grabbed a bag of IV fluids. You slammed the med drawer harder than you wanted. Your heart couldn’t take looking at him yet. You took a deep breath as you looked down at the bag in your hands. 

No matter how hurt or betrayed you felt, that was his partner in that hospital bed. You had no right to withhold that information from him. You tucked a piece of hair behind your ears. You were looking down at your feet when you spoke again. 

“Come on.” You sighed again, and walked back towards Ron’s room. When you walked in you saw Jen stand up. 

“Tell me. Will he be okay?” Jen questioned as she wiped a tear from her cheek. 

You motioned Flip to sit in the chair on the other side of Ron’s bed. When he did, Jen joined as she sat on the fold out bed once again. 

“The bullet penetrated his left lung, so when he was stable enough, they retracted the bullet and placed two chest tubes in surgery. Technically he has a hemopneumothorax. Blood is collecting while air is leaking into his chest cavity. We’re running constant IV fluids on him, since he lost a lot of blood. We gave IV antibiotics prophylactically to get ahead of any infections that the bullet might have introduced to him. We also found that has three broken ribs that will heal on its own.” 

You stopped to make sure you weren’t going too fast. You only kept eye contact with her. You still couldn’t bring yourself to look at him yet. 

You continued when she nodded her head.

“The surgery went well, but we will want to keep an eye on him. We also want to make sure his vitals stay stable. Physical therapy and pain management will be the main focus until then.” 

You watched as Jen nodded her head once again as tears started to fall down her cheeks. You watched as she grabbed Ron’s hand. She was gentle with him, almost like she was scared she was going to break him. 

You gathered enough energy to look over to Flip. 

“Any questions?” Your gaze averted to the IV fluids in your hand. You couldn’t look at him long, and if you did, you would be joining Jen in crying. You hit pause on the IV pump as Flip’s deep voice broke the silence.

“Can I talk to you in private?” Flip was now standing from his seat, and standing behind you as you spiked the bag. 

You didn’t answer him. You finished your task of replacing the new IV fluids. You hit restart when he took a step closer. 

“Please.” He whispered. 

You bit your lip as you debated internally. You looked over to Jen who was now watching your interaction. She widened her eyes and nodded her head. 

_ “Go.”  _ She mouthed. 

You took a deep breath as you lowered your hands from the IV pump. 

You slowly stepped out of the room and leaned against the wall. You looked up, carefully studying his face. You watched as he struggled to find the words. You felt your stomach drop again when he whispered your name as he reached out for your arm. 

His familiar touch sent shivers down your spine. You exhaled a long deep breath out your nose, debating again. 

You were acting crazy. You had absolutely no reason to be upset with him. None. This man didn’t belong to you. Not even close. He didn’t owe you any explanation and you had to deal with that. 

“Are you okay?” His voice was low when he asked. He looked back towards the room. You followed his gaze and saw Jen wiping Ron’s face with a wet rag. 

“I’m okay. I’m just…” you took a quick breath in, running a hand through your hair that was now down. “It’s been an exhausting night.” You felt his hand squeeze on your arm. 

“But, Lauren- let me explain-” 

“You don’t have to… it’s none of my business.” You cut him off with a whisper, holding out your hand to stop him.

“What the fuck? It is-”

He was interrupted by his phone ringing in his pocket. He clenched his jaw as he exhaled through his nose. 

“Can I see you when you get off?” Flip said in a louder tone, trying to talk over the ring. 

You sighed and shook your head after a moment. You looked up at those eyes studying you. 

“I told the team leader I would stay on until Ron wakes up and we transfer him out of recovery.” 

It was a moment before he huffed and reached for his phone in his pocket. His hand was still wrapped around your arm when he answered. 

“What is it?” He hissed. You felt bad for the person on the other end.

“He’s still not awake… I’ll keep you updated, chief.” 

He shoved his phone back in his pocket as he looked down at you once again. 

“I-I gotta go, Flip. The doctors should be coming soon to check on him.” You started to walk away, but you stopped when his hand was still holding your arm. 

Your name fell off his lips again, causing your stomach to drop once again. 

“Can I stay?” 

You could feel your heart shatter. His voice shook as he looked down at you. 

“Please.” He pleaded again. 

You pointed to a secluded area a few feet from Ron’s room. 

“Let Jen have some time with him…” you whispered. “I’ll come and get you in a bit.” 

You felt his grip loosen as his hand slid down your arm. His new grip was your hand. He squeezed for a moment before releasing you. He stood there as you walked back into Ron’s room. 

  
  
  
  


Flip stood there. There was no way in hell he was letting you out of his sight. He had a gut feeling if he didn’t stay, he would never see you again, and that right there terrified him. 

He watched as you walked back into Ron’s room and spoke a few words to Jen. 

Jen looked over to him as you rolled over a vitals machine next to his bed. He didn’t care though. He kept his eyes on you as he took a step back, leaning his back against the wall. 

He was desperate for an update on him. He was scared shitless when he saw that flat line on the screen. Once again he was reminded that he picked a good one that night. 

He didn’t know how to thank you. He watched you in that room, bringing his partner back to life. He had that feeling in his chest as he watched you assess Ron, giving tasks to people. 

That feeling never left of course. Even when he was asking around for you when you rolled off with Ron. 

Like he said, he was desperate. He couldn’t find anyone with a familiar face or name to find you or Ron. 

Well, he found one though but he wasn’t going to touch that shit with a 10 foot pole. He could feel her eyes burning onto his back as he paced back and forth. 

But it’s amazing what people stoop to when they’re desperate. 

_ How could I be so stupid?  _

His thoughts were interrupted by Jen, walking out of the room. He quickly glanced over to you once again. You were still checking out Ron. 

“Flip?” Jen joined him against the wall. 

“Hmm.” His eyes were still on you. 

“How did this happen?” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ;)


	15. The only moment we were alone

_ Thump-thump.  _

Flip could only hear a hand full of things. His heart pounding in his ears was one of them. 

_ Thump-thump.  _

The next thing he heard was him trying to get his breathing under control. 

_ Click.  _

He cocked his gun back and took a slow breath out as he creeped behind the corner. 

_ Thump-thump _ . 

If he wasn’t in this serious situation he would roll his eyes at himself. He needed to get his shit together, and fast. 

When the hallway he was in was clear, he creeped up to the next corner. This goddamn place was a maze, and he felt his time running out. 

_ Thump-thump.  _

The next thing he heard was talking. 

_ “You would think you would back off, Zimmerman.”  _

Shit. Flip felt his heart rate quicken. He needed to hurry. He ran over to the doors at the end of the hall. He saw a little glass window on one of the doors. He stepped to the side of it and peaked his head over. 

He held his breath at what he saw. 

Ron was on his knees with his hands behind his head with a man standing over him. He didn’t recognize him, but something else shocked him. 

_ “I told you man, I’m not Zimmerman! I’m Stallworth!-ooph!” _

The man was wearing a fucking police uniform. 

He kicked Ron, causing him to fall to the ground. He kicked Ron’s torso a few more times. Flip could’ve sworn he heard cracking… 

_ “Get up!”  _

Ron struggled, but he managed to get back on his knees. He had his hand over his chest as he groaned in pain. 

_ “Abigor warned you…”  _

The uniform circled around Ron, pulling out his gun. Flip closed his eyes for a second, taking a deep breath in. He needed to get in there  _ now. _

_ “After the bar and the chief telling you to stay away from that girl? You still don’t listen…” _

Flip gulped at the mention of you. He looked around through the glass window. If he could just step inside he would be able to stop whatever was going to happen. He held his breath as he crouched over, trying to hide as much as himself. He  _ slowly _ opened the door, just enough for him to slip in. He looked over, and the uniform was still circling around Ron. Flip clenched his jaw as he slipped through the door and hid behind a pallet of crushed garbage. 

The uniform stopped in front of Ron and pointed the gun towards his head. 

_ “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure to watch over her when you’re gone…” _

The uniform cocked his gun back while Flip’s blood boiled. 

It all happened at once. Flip shoved his gun back into his holster and lunged himself at the gun. He managed to lower the gun away from Ron’s head, but he heard that loud pop. He quickly tackled the uniform down to the ground and managed to handcuff him, although it wasn’t easy. 

Flip rushed over to Ron and slapped his hand over his mouth.

Flip needed to make sure to look at everything. Reassess the environment. 

The only thing he could focus on was how much blood there was. 

“I’m calling an ambulance!” Flip finally snapped out of it and pulled out his phone. The poor woman on the phone got her money’s worth that night. Not only did she have to direct the ambulance to them, she had to calm down Flip. 

Flip’s eyes averted to Ron. Was he still breathing? Were his eyes still open? Does he look pale?

_ “Okay the ambulance should be coming up any second to take him to Baylor hospital-” _

“No! Take him to John’s Memorial.” Flip interrupted. 

_ “Sir, Baylor is closer-” _

“Just take him to John’s Memorial!” 

Although you weren’t physically there, he could see you. Standing there in your scrubs getting ready for the trauma coming in… not knowing what happened. 

At this point Flip was telling the lady on the phone and the paramedics, as they were showing up and rushing over to Ron. He knew Baylor was closer, but he also knew you would be the one to take care of Ron. It certainly helped to have eyes on you to make sure you were safe…

Flip hung up and called his chief as Ron was being placed into the ambulance. 

“We got word this was his hideout sir…. Yes, I understand we should’ve had back up… Yes sir.” 

Flip walked over to the man in the uniform still on the ground. He kicked him onto his back to view his name. 

“D. Mitchell… Yes you heard me right. He works for Kronos.”

Mitchell’s face said it all. If he wasn’t cuffed he would finish the job this time. 

Flip hung up the phone once again as he saw his backup finally come, taking over the arrest. 

He ran towards his truck, speeding and trying to catch up with the ambulance. Looking at the street names, and stop lights, figuring out the best route to take. 

When he caught up with the ambulance, that’s when it hit him. 

Guilt. 

He knew this was all his fault.

He’s the one that got Ron in this condition. He’s the one that put Ron  _ and  _ you in danger. The one who’s been so careless. Maybe the chief was right… he should have left you alone…

He saw you again in his mind with that thought. Your smile specifically. How you always smiled ear to ear with him. How you leaned in closer to him with your laugh. How you arch your back when he’s hitting that spot  _ just right.  _ He shook the thought out of his mind. He would be a dumbass to let that go. 

  
  
  
  


“The cop didn’t know he was a detective? And just shot him?” Jen’s voice was shaky. 

Flip knew he should be consoling her, but he couldn’t take his eyes off of you. He watched as you grabbed a vitals machine, and wrapped the blood pressure cuff around Ron’s arm. 

“What? How did that happen, Flip?” Jen’s voice was getting louder. Flip watched as you looked back through the window, looking at Jen only and going back to your task. 

Flip looked over to Jen, hoping to quiet her. 

“Ron and I got a call about our case and we went to go check it out. It was on dispatch, so a uniformed officer took the call too. Ron tried to show his badge, but the guy wasn’t having it.” 

Okay so it wasn’t totally the truth, but he couldn’t risk losing the case, and mostly importantly, losing you. Although the cold shoulder you were giving made it seem like he was losing you already. 

“And this guy just gets to walk free?!” When the tears started falling down Jen’s face, he was more attentive to her. 

“No. Not at all.” Flip said firmly. “I arrested him and he’s going to get fired. He’s not gonna get away with this.” 

He watched as Jen cried into her hands. Flip wasn’t sure what to do, but thankfully you walked out into the hall. 

“Jen? What happened? Are you okay?” Flip noticed you didn’t make eye contact with him again. He didn’t want to make note that his heart was shattering. 

When Jen couldn’t form words, you looked up at him. 

“I’m gonna take her to get some coffee, stay with him?” You didn’t wait for an answer before she grabbed Jen and walked away. 

He clenched his jaw as he walked into the room, sitting on the chair he was in before. He rested his elbows on his knees and dropped his head, while his mind wandered. 

His partner in the fucking hospital, and his girl won’t even give him the time of day. What a fucking shit show. 

He sighed as he ran his hand through his hair. 

“You’re too hard on yourself.” 

Flip looked up at the weak voice breaking the silence in the room. He shot up out of his chair and made it over to Ron, who was now awake. 

“Ron… I’m so sorry.” It was all Flip could say… how do you apologize for getting your partner shot when it was supposed to be you? 

“Hey, man… I’m gonna get weeks off of work and have my girl at my side… I’m not complaining.” Ron laughed weakly. Flip could see him flinching with pain when he tried to adjust himself in the bed. 

“Why are you stressing? I’m alive!” Ron held his arms up, trying to celebrate the little things. He flinched again when he reached his left arm too far. 

“Ron… they thought you were me… I’m supposed to be in that bed. Not you.” Flip looked around, making sure you or Jen weren’t back yet. 

“They’re not gonna stop until they get me, or worse… her.” Flip whispered. 

“We’re not gonna let that happen. Does the chief know they mentioned her?” Ron whispered back. 

“No… he doesn’t even know we’re here. They wanted to take you to Baylor.” Flip ran his hand through his hair again, pacing back and forth. 

It was a few moments before Ron broke the silence. 

“What aren’t you telling me?” Flip stopped pacing and looked over to Ron. 

“What?” Flip questioned. “That’s it. We arrested the guy. They’re trying to find out what he knows about Kronos now.” Flip had his hands on his hips. What else did he want?

“No… that's not it. Something is off with you man.” Ron used his remote to bring the head of the bed up, facing Flip more now. 

Flip started pacing again and sighed. They’ve been working together too long…

“She’s upset with me.” Flip clenched his jaw. 

“Why?” Ron questioned, almost cutting him off. 

“There’s another nurse here… always tries to hit on me when I visit…” Flip trailed off. 

He once again stopped pacing and looked over to Ron. Your name fell off of his lips.

“She caught me talking to her. I swear I was trying to get an update on you, but I guess the way it looked-”

Ron held his hand up, cutting Flip off. 

“Did you tell her that?” Ron flinched in pain again.

“I tried-”

“Ron? Baby, you’re awake!” Jen’s voice cut their conversation short as she rushed in. She set the coffee in her hand down on the bedside table. Jen grabbed Ron’s hand, stroking it softly. 

“Hey, baby.” Ron said softly through a smile. 

Flip tuned them out as he looked around for you. You were setting your cup of coffee down at the med cart, pulling something out. He watched as you walked over to your bag, grabbing and wrapping that lovely stethoscope around your neck. You walked in rolling a vitals machine right behind you. 

“Ron, do you mind if I take a look at you?” You were already putting on gloves. 

Flip stepped aside when you came over to his side of the bed, ignoring Flip again. 

“Of course. Go ahead.” Ron responded. 

Flip watched as you wrapped the blood pressure cuff on his arm again. You scanned his forehead for his temperature and attached the pulse oximeter on one of his fingers. 

Flip watched as you saved the numbers on the little screen and unhook everything from him. 

“Blood pressure is better. How’s the pain?” Flip watched as you walked around to the end of the bed, uncovering Ron’s feet. 

“Hurts like hell.” 

“Any numbness or tingling on your feet?” You ran your fingers on the bottom of his feet. 

“No ma’am, just ticklish.” Ron tried to hold back a laugh. 

“Ma’am?” Flip watched as your mouth curled into a smile. One of your famous ones. 

“What about your hands? Can you feel me and Jen?” You walked back over, grabbing his free hand. 

“Yes I do. No numbness or tingling.” Ron responded. 

“Great.” Flip watched as you took a seat in his chair, pulling it closer to the bed. 

“I’m gonna look at your chest tubes.” You carefully lifted the side of his gown. 

“I have chest tubes?” Ron questioned. 

“Yeah, baby.” Jen answered for you. 

“The bullet hit your lung. It’s just a temporary thing until it heals.” You took a closer look before you set his gown down. 

“Looks good. No signs of infection so far, but we’re gonna keep you on antibiotics for now.” 

Flip took another step back as he watched you take your gloves off and walked over to the computer. 

“Let me put your vitals in, and I’ll give you some pain meds.” 

It was awkward. No one was saying anything while you were on the computer. 

Jen spoke your name, breaking the silence. 

“It’s shift change and Ron is awake, are you still going to stay?” Jen asked. 

Flip hoped you would say no. Maybe he could take you to breakfast and try to explain again. But his heart broke again when you looked at him for a split second before looking over to Jen. 

“Uh… it’s up to you guys. I can stay if you like, but if you want I can find a good nurse for you guys.” 

You and Flip watched as Jen’s mind worked. 

“Are you back tonight?” Jen questioned. 

“Only if I don’t stay.” 

Jen looked over to Ron. 

“Are you okay if she stays? I don’t trust the other nurses to take care of you this close to your surgery.” Flip could hear the begging in her voice. 

“Uh…” Ron looked over to Flip. He knew he was practically begging him to say no, but he couldn’t say no to his girl. 

“Yeah… that’s fine with me.” 

Just like that, Flip felt you slipping through his fingers. He felt like he was losing you. The feeling in his chest turned into ache. 

His legs worked faster than his mind when he realized he was walking out of the room, and out of the hospital. He needed nicotine in his system and now. 

He walked past the restricted double doors, passing Lauren, who of course was trying to get his attention. 

_ Fuck that. _ Flip thought. He’s not going down that road. That was the source of most of his problems. 

He immediately tasted the nicotine on his breath when he lit his cigarette in his truck. 

The only thing good about this fucking day was that you were safe, but what good was it when his girl was ignoring him. 

He hoped he could get you back. Shit he almost prayed, because it terrified him to even think about his life without you. 

A life not worth living.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> how y'all doin?


	16. Exhausted

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Couple of things! One. I just wanted to let you guys know that I read EVERY. SINGLE. COMMENT. Just because I don't reply, doesn't mean I'm not laughing my ass off from your reactions! Two. You guys are literally the best thing to happen to me??? Three. I know some of y'all are mad at me... but hang in there. 
> 
> Enjoy  
> -Dal

You couldn’t stop yawning. 

You were already on your third coffee when you looked over to the clock hanging on the wall. It was 12 in the afternoon. Your shift was coming around to 17 hours. 

The only thing you could think about was how tired you were, and it was definitely hard to focus on anything else. 

Walter told the day shift team leader to keep Ron where he was to make his stay easier. He gave Jen a temporary badge to get in and out of recovery to avoid another ‘commotion’, as he so lovingly put it. 

Jen almost teared up thanking Walter. He was definitely giving them the presidential stay. 

You and Jen made a deal where you would work until 1 in the afternoon and then let another nurse take over. Walter was already informed by Jen that she didn’t want Lauren coming anywhere near their room. 

You couldn’t blame her. 

Jen went home to shower and get a few things for Ron when you were finishing up your shift assessment in the room. 

“This might be none of my business-“ Ron cleared his throat as he stole your attention from the computer. 

“-but you know Flip is into you right?” Ron kept his gaze on you, trying to read your reaction. 

You looked away from the computer screen to look at Ron for a moment. A small wrinkle formed between your eyebrows before turning back at the computer. 

“And I know you’re mad at him right now, but he’s a good guy...” Ron trailed off as you stepped away from the computer and towards his IV pump. 

You were hooking up a bag of antibiotics when he continued. 

“He would never cheat on you.” Ron watched you press a few buttons on his IV pump. 

“Especially with that Lauren chick.”

You turned towards Ron when you were finished with your task, putting your hands on your full hips. You took a deep breath in through your nose and looked down at him. 

“First of all, you’re right, it is none of your business.” You watched Ron’s facial expression drop as he wasn’t expecting that.

“Second, me and Flip are not in a relationship.” You took a quick breath in. 

“He can talk to Lauren, or whoever the hell he wants.” You were now holding your hands up, almost defending yourself. 

“Thirdly, It’s none of my business what he does.” You huffed, almost laughing. 

You were trying to keep your voice low, as you didn’t want to bring any attention to you. Telling off a patient didn’t seem like the best thing to do...

You crossed your arms as you continued your lecture. 

“If Flip has an issue he needs to talk to me about it. He’s a big boy and can do his own bidding.” 

You shook your head, trying to calm down. 

“And no offense, I don’t talk about my personal life at work, especially with patients.” You walked back over to the computer. 

“Even if you are Jen’s boyfriend.” You saved your work on the computer and shut your screen off. You stood there for a moment as you two were staring at each other in silence. 

It was perfect timing as Jen walked in with a handful of bags. 

“Are you guys okay?” She questioned, walking over to the fold out bed and setting some bags down. 

“Perfect. I’ll be back in 30.” You said bluntly. You walked out and headed for the nurses station. 

You practically chugged your coffee as you tried to calm down. You shook your head to yourself, as questions started to form in your mind. 

Why would Ron think it would be okay to do that? Did Flip put him up to it? Did Flip even know Ron did that? 

You sighed at your annoyance. This was all that you were gonna think about now. You never thought you would want to go back to being sleepy. 

Your mind started to wander to Flip now. You felt your heart drop down to your ass just by thinking about him. Your leg started to bounce up and down as your anxiety was building. 

You wanted to be with him, you really did. Hell, you wish you were in bed with him now as you slept for 18 hours. His arms wrapped around you? Yes, please. 

You lived in reality though, and knew that wasn’t going to happen. Hell, who knew... it might not happen at all anymore. 

You kept thinking about him and Lauren. How cute they would be together being a model couple.

Lauren bringing lunch to him at the station while he shows her off. You could see it now. Her blonde hair being flipped around so much. 

You wondered how her neck didn’t hurt constantly. 

He would share all the gory details of his case and even ask for her opinions on how to solve it. 

She would wear his flannel to bed, with it barely holding on due to how baggy it would be. Of course he would immediately throw it on the ground as they went to town. 

Gross. The thought made you want to throw up. 

You were interrupted by the IV beeping down the hall. You sighed as you pushed up from your chair and made your way back towards Ron’s room. 

You stayed quiet as you unhooked the antibiotic and flushed his IV before hooking the IV fluids back up. The silence was interrupted by Ron saying your name. 

“I... Uh- never thanked you.” He cleared his throat as he looked over to Jen. 

“Jen was telling me what you did… Thank you… I don’t know what would have happened if you didn’t take care of me.”

You watched as Ron squeezed Jen’s hand before looking over to you. 

“Flip is very grateful too…” he said in a whisper, almost scared that he was going to get yelled at again. 

You nibbled your lip as you took a slow breath in through your nose. 

“I’m grateful too.” Jen said quickly. You figured she was trying to change the subject before you went off again. 

“It’s, um- it’s not a problem.” you trailed off, nibbling your bottom lip again. 

“I’m gonna give report to your new nurse soon and head home. I’ll be back in a little.”

You were quick to walk out. You didn’t want to talk about Flip anymore. You were tired. Physically and emotionally. 

  
  
  


It wasn’t long till you were able to give report, but you had to make sure to be very clear about Jen’s instructions about avoiding Lauren when night shift rolls around. You said your quick goodbyes to Jen and Ron then grabbed your things. 

You admitted to yourself that you were stretching yourself thin as you felt the exhaustion hit you. Your body was on autopilot as you walked towards your car. You just wanted to be in bed already… but it seemed like that wasn’t going to happen as soon as you thought it would. 

You stopped dead in your tracks when you were a few feet away from your car. Someone was leaning on it. At first you didn’t know who it was, but when the blonde hair started flapping in the wind, you felt that nauseous feeling in your stomach again. 

Could you just throw the whole car away? Just walk home? You hoped you could sneak away without her seeing you, but atlast… things weren’t working in your favor the last 18 hours. Lauren stood up straighter when she saw you, waving you over. 

You sighed as you walked over, studying her carefully. 

Her blonde hair was still flapping in the wind. You then noticed she was out of her scrubs and in jeans and a t-shirt. How did she not look tired? She couldn’t have had more than a handful of hours of sleep… yet here she was. Defining the law of physics or some shit. You stopped yourself from rolling your eyes as you stopped in front of her. 

“Hey…” Lauren trailed off. 

When you didn’t say anything, she continued, fidgeting with her hands. 

“I heard you were getting off at this time-”

“What do you want Lauren?” You cut her off. You just wanted to go home. Talking to her was the last thing you wanted to do. 

“Okay… look. I wanted to apologize. Flip-”

“Jesus.” You cut her off again, and this time you weren’t shy about rolling your eyes. 

“Look last night before he left, he stopped and made it clear to me that he’s not interested.” It was hard for her to keep eye contact with you. 

“He also informed me how disrespectful it was to keep hitting on him… especially in front of you.” She took a breath in again. 

“I didn’t know… I just thought you two were hooking up-”

“We’re-”

“He was very eminent about how you and him were a thing.” She looked down at her hands.

“And he suggested I apologize to you… so I’m sorry.” She said, sounding monotone. 

You watched as she stared down at her hands again, still fidgeting. You took a deep breath in, hoping you weren’t going to pass out from exhaustion right there. 

You could tell she wasn’t serious. If it was up to her she would keep her mission on picking up Flip, and at this point you didn’t care. How could you compete with someone like her? Thin, blonde, and always presentable. 

“Lauren… I gotta go… thank you? I’ll see you later.” You pressed your key fob to unlock your car. She moved out of the way when you opened your backseat door to set your bag in. You could hear her footsteps grow quieter as she walked away. 

  
  


You couldn’t get home fast enough. You managed to get every red light on the way home because it seemed like the universe hated you. Of course your mind was preoccupied by your encounter with Lauren and the details of your conversation. You just wanted a few hours away from the world of Flip, but everyone around you didn’t agree. First Ron, then Lauren. You shook your head, trying to shake him out of your thoughts. You didn’t want to over think or let your anxiety take over. No. You just wanted to sleep and figure it out later.

When you were lying in bed, your mind started working. You should be passed out by now, why the hell were you still awake?! 

Him. That’s why. 

After he stormed out of Ron’s room in the morning, you figured he would go straight home. Apparently not. He made sure to find Lauren and tell her that she disrespected you. But why? It was very clear you two were not a couple. You never had the “talk”, so why would you assume? 

Oh, and don’t forget that he basically told her to apologize. I mean if you two were together, that would be a different story. 

You weren’t though. 

And the fact that she seemed so uninterested in apologizing to you. She couldn’t even look into your eyes, like she didn’t want to believe he would be with someone like you… You were over it. 

So why in the hell were you still thinking about him?

You tossed your body onto the other side as your mind wandered. You weren’t even upset at this point. You were just tired. You always felt like you were in an unspoken competition with Lauren. 

You sighed audibly as you were getting annoyed. Sleep seemed like it would never hit you as long as your mind was preoccupied. 

You sat up from your bed and looked over to the clock on your bedside table. It was 3 in the afternoon and you still weren’t asleep. You sighed again as you opened the drawer, grabbing a pill bottle. 

Sleeping aid should do the trick. 

You took two and waited. 

  
  
  
  
  
  


_ KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK _

  
_ ‘He would never cheat on you… especially with that Lauren chick…”  _

  
  


_ KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK _

  
  


_ ‘He was very eminent about how you and him were a thing…”  _

  
  


_ KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK _

  
  


_ ‘Flip is very grateful too…”  _

  
  


_ KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK.  _

  
  


Your eyes fluttered open.

‘God dammit!” you threw yourself up into bed, sitting up. You looked over to the alarm clock. 4 am. Shit. You didn’t mean to over sleep like that, but hell. Considering the shift you had, you probably deserved it. 

_ KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK.  _

“Holy shit.” you groaned as you finally made it to your feet, standing up. The excessive knocking that woke you up was still going on as you walked the halls towards your front door. Who the fuck was here this late? 

You rubbed the tired out of your eyes while you stepped up to the door. 

Usually you make sure you were decent enough before you answered your door. This time was different. You didn’t give a shit as you were in your panties and an oversized t-shirt. 

_ KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK. _

“Jesus, I’m coming!” you yelled. You yanked your front door as you rubbed your eye, failing terribly at waking up. 

When you were done rubbing your eyes, your vision focused on the flannel standing in front of you. Your heart dropped down to your ass as you looked up, meeting his gaze. 

Flip fucking Zimmerman was standing at your door, and you couldn’t help but notice the bags under his eyes. 

He puffed on a cigarette lit in his hand, exhaling the smoke from his nose. His hair looked messy, almost as if he was tossing and turning in bed. He threw the cigarette down and stepped on it with his cowboy boot. He clenched his jaw as he looked down at your face, quietly studying you. It was a moment before he spoke your name, with that familiar deep voice cracking with an emotion you couldn’t determine. 

“Can I come in?” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What are you guys going to be for Halloween?


	17. Yours and mine

You were always taught about the five senses in school. Basic human function to get through life. Normally you wouldn’t think twice about it going through your day, but this particular situation brought so many details to life. Screaming for attention almost. 

  
  
  
  


_ Sound  _

You could hear Flip’s cowboy boots stomp across your kitchen floor as he paced back and forth. His deep exhales as he was trying to form words. A few stutters out of his mouth when they weren’t the words he wanted to say. The noise of fidgeting. With his lighter, with his pack of cigarettes, with whatever was laid out onto your kitchen counter. The huffs and puffs, and even whimpers from his mouth. You could have sworn you heard a few cries under his breath. A few sniffles? A few shaky breaths even. He whispered your name multiple times, hoping the words would magically speak themselves. Praying that he could tell you exactly how he felt, without risking saying the wrong thing. 

  
  
  
  


_ Smell _

You smelled the familiar whiffs of cigarette smoke and cedar as he paced back and forth. You caught hints of liquor, but there was something else. Something else you quite couldn’t make out. It almost smelt like…  _ sadness.  _ Emptiness. 

And he reeked of it. 

The hints of coffee beans filled your nose as you brewed enough for the both of you. It seemed to drown out the cigarettes and liquor, but it wasn’t doing anything about the others. More cigarette smoke filled the room as it worked on your olfactory receptors. His cologne was diffusing throughout your kitchen. You hoped it would stain the walls and the smell would be there forever. 

  
  
  
  
  


_ Sight _

He stood across the island, carefully watching you as you waited. You didn’t know exactly what you were waiting for, but you knew it was coming. His tall figure made its way around the island and pulled a chair out. His hand held out for you to take. When you sat down, he pulled the chair next to you closer. Slowly sitting down, almost as if he was scared of chasing you away. 

The bags under his eyes matched the mangled hair and wrinkled flannel spread across his broad chest. His hand shook as he lifted the coffee cup and cigarette to his mouth. Not only could you smell the sadness… you saw it. His face drooped a little lower than normal. He bit his lip as words were still failing him. His thick fingers tried to comb his tangles out, but when he couldn’t, he gave up and reached for his coffee cup again. He slowly sipped. It was hard for him since his lips were still trembling. 

You never saw him like this. Vulnerable and so visibly broken. 

  
  
  
  


_ Touch _

You reached out, hoping to bring him back to reality. To bring him back to his normal self. You felt his tense muscles through his clothed arm. The warmth radiating to your hand. His muscles loosened as you spoke his name. He was comforted by your voice, as if he hasn’t heard it in so long. His large hands left chills across your body as they wrapped around your wide hips. His grip pulled you off the chair. Your bare legs were against his rough jeans as you stood in between his legs. The stubble on his face rubbed against your skin as you caressed his cheek with your thumb. He was so fragile, almost like glass. His grip on your hips loosened on one side as one of his hands traveled up to the back of your neck, pushing you towards him, into a hug. His arms wrapped tightly around your body, as his chest grew bigger with a shaky breath he was taking in. His beard scratched between your neck and shoulder. 

  
  
  
  


_ Taste _

The hints of coffee remained on your tongue as you took a breath in. You hesitated as he held onto you, keeping you in a tight grip. The cigarette smoke still in the air hit your taste buds when you took a breath in. His scent from his hair joined as you adjusted your head to lay on his. You went against all your instincts as you pulled him closer to you. You smelt a fresh burst of cedar as you ran your fingers through the ends of his hair. 

  
  
  


That familiar feeling in your chest that only showed up with him, was sparking and spreading fast like a wildfire. You loved having your five senses be preoccupied by him. You wouldn’t dare complain about it. Not anymore. 

  
  


“Flip…” you whispered in his ear. He adjusted his hold on you, pulling you closer against his chest. 

He wasn’t saying anything and that scared you. 

“Flip.” You said a little louder. “Please look at me.” You said softly. You were trying your hardest not to fall to your knees. Seeing him like this broke your heart. It made you forget everything that happened. It all seemed irrelevant with his arms around you. Which is what you wanted the most in the entire world. 

He squeezed you a little tighter before he hesitated to loosen his grip on you. He slowly picked his head up, avoiding eye contact with you. 

“I’m sorry…” he trailed off. When he still didn’t make eye contact with you, you turned his head towards you with your finger under his chin. 

“I know… I know.” You said between planting soft kisses on his lips. You thought back to the source of his sadness. It was so minuscule and worthless. You felt horrible for putting him through this. 

“You’re mine… you know that right?” Flip’s voice was firm now. Like he was 100% sure on what he was saying. 

But no… You didn’t know that.

You felt a sudden rush of emotions. You watched as he stood up, still keeping his hold on you. 

“I’m… yours…” you repeated back almost in a question. The words almost seemed foreign. 

Flip leaned down, leaving soft kisses starting from your temple, and working his way down your neck and shoulder. 

“Say it again.” He whispered against your skin. 

“I’m yours.” You could only manage to say it in a whisper, as your entire body was covered in chills. 

Flip continued his trail of kisses as you felt his hands trace down your curves. Your skin connecting with his lit it on fire as he lifted your shirt just enough to slip his hands under. Your skin was practically melting as he caressed your sides up and down. 

“Again.” His hands were snaking their way to your chest, grabbing a handful of your full breasts. His lips still leaving soft kisses at the base of your neck. 

You bit your lip trying to regulate your breathing. His hands squeezing intermittently as your chest was rising up and down. 

“I-I’m yours…” you let out a soft moan. You squeezed your eyes shut, trying to remember every slight detail of his touch and how his breath hit against your skin. 

“My girl… say it.” He whispered in your ear. He then raised his head, and settled it on the other side of your neck. 

“Your girl…” You took a deep breath in through your nose. You couldn’t ignore the fact that you were dripping at this point. 

You heard him quietly moan against your skin, still leaving soft kisses. 

“That’s right, baby. My girl.” His hands squeezed a little harder around your breasts, producing you to moan again. 

“I’ve told you since the beginning. You’re mine…” he trailed off again as he let his grip go around your breasts. His hands snaked its way to around to your bottom, squeezing and pushing you closer against him. Your eyes rolled back as you felt his length growing against your thigh. 

“I’m yours.” You whispered. One hand on your bottom loosened and found a new grip on your jaw. He held it firm, just enough to move your head with his guidance. He directed your head towards the ceiling as he started leaving soft kisses along your jawline. 

“All. Mine.” he stated between kisses. He lifted his head from your neck and leaned in, staring into your eyes.

“Yours…” you whispered.

“That’s right baby.” he whispered against your lips. “All mine” he repeated. 

You felt your heart pounding against your chest as his lips grazed yours. You took a shaky breath in as you watched him. His eyes were slowly studying your face. You were in a trance with his hazel eyes moving back and forth, taking note of every little detail of your face. You brought your hand up, tangling your fingers between the knots in his hair. You let a soft moan loose against his lips as the hand on your bottom pulled you in closer, rubbing his throbbing length against your thigh once again. 

“All mine.” he hummed. The corners of his mouth turned, leaving a soft smile over his face. His large hand against your jaw loosened. He slid his hand down to your neck, claiming you once again, only this time you knew it was true. No more assuming. No more questioning. 

You were his. 

His eyes moved once more, switching between your lips and your body pressed against his. He tightened his fingers around your neck slightly, reminding you that you were in fact, his. 

“Mine…” he once again whispered, before planting his lips on yours. You were almost taken aback by how he kissed you. 

Gentle enough to show his apology, but rough enough for him to grunt under his breath. 

You almost cringed to yourself thinking back to the root of his pain. How could you be so stupid? How could you put him through that? You wanted to show him that you were sorry. You were desperate to show him he deserved better. 

You snaked your hand out of his hair and down his broad chest. You felt his breath quicken as you drew your hand lower and lower. You struggled, but you managed to unbutton his jeans with one hand. You lifted his shirt just a little past his belly button, feeling the trail of hair leading to your destination. 

He hesitated, almost breaking the kiss as your hand wrapped around his length. You worked hard with what little space you were dealt with as you moved your hand up and down his long length. This got his attention as his lips left yours, quietly gasping. You looked up at him smiling. His eyes were closed as that infamous strand of hair fell loose and laid across his forehead, bouncing with each movement of your hand. 

_ “Ffffuccckk”  _ he hissed through his teeth. You felt validated, which caused your folds to slick even more. Seeing him unravel like this was rare, so you definitely needed to take advantage of it. 

“Yours…” you stood on your tippy toes, whispering in his ear. A loud grunt ripped through his throat. He was getting impatient. You felt his large hands grip your hips, as he quickly shoved you against the closest wall. You let a soft moan out as one of his hands reached for the wall above your head. You could hear his nails scratching at the wallpaper as he laid his forehead against yours. 

“Mine…” he moaned. His eyes were still closed. 

“I’m your girl?” You questioned as you felt his other hand tug on your shirt, pulling you closer towards him. 

“ _ Fuck _ yes.” He moaned again. You felt his hand loosen around your shirt and made its way to your bare stomach. His fingers peeled back the elastic of your panties as his hand  _ slowly  _ snaked in between your folds. 

You were taken aback by him immediately making contact with your clit, circling away. Your hand stuttered, but you were determined to keep your speed, going back and forth against his length. 

The hand above your head, was brought down to the small of your back, pulling you in closer to him. Your chest coming in contact with his. 

“All mine.” He grunted, as he circled faster. You pumped your hand faster, matching his speed. 

“I’m yours baby.” You whispered as you squeezed your eyes shut. It was getting harder and harder to focus as you felt the pressure in your abdomen grow. 

_ “Fuck,  _ you’re so wet.” He grunted as you felt his breath against your lips. He adjusted his forehead against yours, planting one soft kiss against your lips. 

“Flip…” you moaned as you exhaled a breath you didn’t know you were holding in. Even though you were slowly losing yourself, you still made sure you stayed true to your mission. Your hand pumped a little faster, causing that strand of hair to bounce with your rhythm. 

“My girl…” He dipped his head to your neck, leaving sloppy kisses as his hand refocused at its task. Your body jolted forward as he circled around your clit once again, pushing your chest against his. Your mouth releasing soft breathy moans as his rhythm matched yours. 

“Mine…  _ Fuck!”  _ you felt incomplete as Flip snaked his hand out of your panties. You watched as his hand was being lifted to his own mouth, slipping his fingers in, tasting you. This caused you to bite your lip, watching him slowly lick your juices off. 

“Hmm… My girl tastes so good.” He growled as his fingers slipped out of his mouth. 

Fuck. His words caused you to pump your hand faster, which caught him off guard. 

“I’m all yours....” you whispered as you watched both his hands reach up for the wall above your head. 

“All… Mine…” he stuttered. 

You looked up at him, studying his face.

A wrinkle in between his eyebrows as he bit his lip. Slowly but surely, more loose strands of hair were falling over his face. You could hear his nails scratching at the wallpaper once more as he stepped closer to you. 

“Fuck!” Something seemed to snap in him as he grunted. His right hand fell from the wall and wrapped around your arm tightly, yanking your grip away from him. 

Both of his hands were now working on his jeans as he took a step back from you. He shoved his jeans just below his hip bones, freeing his long length. You bit your lip as he stepped closer to you again. His hands found your shirt again as he lifted it above your head, causing the cool air to hit your skin. You watched as he crouched over, grabbing your panties in his hand. 

You heard two things next. Flip grunting, and the sound of your panties being torn off your body. You looked down at him, biting your lip. You didn’t want to admit how much of a turn on that was. He stood up as he stared down into your eyes, throwing your panties to the side. He stepped closer to you as his large hands sparked a fire against your skin as he caressed your curves. 

“This is all mine.” He hissed through his teeth. He once again bent down snaking his arms around the back of your thighs, tightening his grip. He lifted you off your feet, pressing you against the wall more. You wrapped your legs around his waist as he pumped his hand a few times on his own cock. 

“Fuck. My girl looks so good like this.” He bit his lip as he was now directing his length towards your dripping cunt. 

“Flip!” you gasped as he pushed his cock through your tight entrance. Even though it wasn’t long since you two were in this position, your body missed him. Ached for him. 

_ “Fffuucckkk!”  _ He hissed through his teeth again. His hair fell over his face as he laid his head on your shoulder. He slowly pushed the rest of his length as he left soft kisses on your skin. 

You loudly moaned as the tip of his cock hit your cervix. You heard your name being muttered in the crook of your neck as his hips started with a slow speed. Your hands made its way to his shoulders, digging your nails into his skin. 

“Baby… You feel  _ so _ good.” you moaned, as your eyes rolled back. His rhythm picked up once his entire length was covered in your slick. Your nails scratched at his skin as he kissed up your neck, leading up to your ear. His tongue licked your ear lobe before he grazed it in between his teeth. 

He grunted loudly in your ear as he snapped his hips harder, causing your back to rub up and down against the wall behind you. 

“Mine.” He whispered as a moan ripped from his throat. His voice echoed in your ear as he nuzzled into your neck once again. 

“Yours baby… All yours!” you yelped as he snapped his hips, hitting your cervix. You leaned your head against his, tangling your hands into his hair now. You pulled him closer to you, never wanting to let go. 

“ _ Fuck.  _ Hold onto me.” Flip lifted his head and wrapped his arms around your thighs. He gripped tighter as he lifted you off the wall. You wrapped your legs tighter around his waist as he walked you towards your bedroom. 

The moment his knees hit the mattress, he hovered over you as you lost your grip around his shoulders, catching yourself before he fell on top of you. He propped himself up with both of his hands on either side of your head. Since his length never left your folds, his hips were quick to pick up the rhythm from before. 

Flip snapped his hips, causing the head of his dick to hit your cervix once again. This caused you to arch your back moaning curse words into the room. Your eyes were closed when you felt Flip balancing himself on one hand, as his other squeezed one of your breasts. 

“All mine…” He grunted as his hips picked up speed. The pressure in your abdomen was growing as he grunted again. 

“Fuck, you’re so tight.” he mumbled. You could tell he was approaching his high. Something snapped in him though.

He growled as his hand found a new grip on your jaw, directing your face towards his. You looked up at him as the strand of hair hovered over his forehead. 

“Look at me.” The grip on your jaw grew tighter as your mouth fell open. You watched as his hazel eyes stared down at you. 

“You’re mine.” He groaned as he snapped his hips harder against yours. You could see his face turning red as his thrusts grew faster. His hips hitting against yours caused loud slapping to fill your bedroom. 

“Flip!” you screamed. Your body was starting to tremble. You went against his order and let your head fall to one side, squeezing your eyes shut. 

“Look at me! Say it.” He grunted as his grip grew tighter on your jaw, whipping your face towards him again. You tried your best to keep your eyes open. 

“S-Say it… Please.” he was having a hard time holding his head up. 

“I’m yours!” you screamed. Your vision grew white as you felt your entire body tense around him. You could hear his voice moan your name. Even though he was in your ear, you felt like his voice was distant. 

“I’m yours…” you whispered. You repeated this a few times as you were coming back down. You could feel Flip’s cum starting to drip out of you as he pulled out, and threw himself next to you. 

You two were lying there, catching your breath. You turned your head over towards him. He had his eyes closed as his hand was blindly trying to find yours. You smiled to yourself as you pulled the covers over you two. You lifted his arm as you cuddled up against his chest. You gently traced your finger up and down his nose and watched as he hummed. You could still see the bags under his eyes. 

“Tired?” you whispered. 

“Hmm.” he hummed again. He wrapped his arm, pulling you closer towards him. He kept his eyes closed as he turned his head towards you. 

“You need to get some sleep…” you whispered. You traced his finger above his eye brows. You could feel chills form on his skin with your touch. He took a deep breath as he slightly nodded his head. He turned on his side, facing you. He wrapped his other arm around you, pulling you in and closing the remaining space between you two. You were focused on your task when he mumbled your name, making sure you were still there. 

“I’m here.” You whispered. You could tell he was fighting going to sleep. Almost like you were going to disappear when he woke up. 

He mumbled your name again. Sleep was coming to him fast, whether he liked it or not.

“What is it, baby?” you couldn’t help but smile up at him. 

“I’m yours too.” 

That stupid feeling in your chest grew with his words. You looked up at him, tucking that loose strand of hair along with the others. You bit your lip for a moment. 

“I’m yours…” That was the last thing you heard before his soft snores filled the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know y'all were mad at me for a while... but trust me, okay? Y'all take a breather, drink some water and relaaxxx... for now. 
> 
> -Dal.


	18. Butterflies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to see if you guys are interested in a BTC twitter account or a BTC email account to send in questions, reaction videos, etc... let me know!!! 
> 
> -dal

Six years.

Damn, has it really been that long?

Six years of drunk nights, hook ups, and a collection of numbers he wasn’t going to bother to call. 

Six years since Flip’s last relationship. Well, it would have been 8 years, maybe if only he listened to Ron’s advice sooner. 

Flip thought back to 6 years ago.

“Once a cheater, always a cheater man.” Ron’s voice was hidden by the traffic noises behind them. Ron handed Flip a cup of coffee in his hand as he dug into his jeans pocket. He rummaged around a bit before handing the man at the kiosk change. “Thank you, Gus. See you later.” 

Ron and Flip turned around and waited on the sidewalk. A handful of people joined them as they patiently waited on the crosswalk to give them the go ahead to cross. 

“She told me she hasn’t seen the guy in months.” Flip’s voice was muffled by the coffee cup being lifted to his mouth. He tried to hide the pain in his voice, but Ron knew him well enough to hear it.

“That doesn’t matter, Zimmerman. You should have left when you got any hints of it.” Ron sighed, walking forward as the crosswalk flashed. 

All Flip could do was shake his head. He was making excuses now. Looking back, he should have left her sooner. He was a detective for fuck’s sake, and she was dumb enough to hide shit from him. 

Ron gave his input up until the day they broke up. Flip wasn’t open to any relationships after that. 

Flip wasn’t proud that he would still ignore Ron’s relationship advice the six years after that. They would argue back and forth when Ron got too comfortable with Flip’s choice of the night. 

Things, of course, were different now. 

“You need to do a grand gesture for her.” Ron kept his eyes ahead as he was driving. 

“I know, but  _ what?”  _ Flip exhaled his cigarette in frustration as he looked over to Ron from the passenger's seat. 

They got tipped off that Abigor was hiding in plain sight. In one of the old buildings that they used to stake out, of all fucking places. 

They were soon going to find out that it was yet another disappointment. The sounds of Ron’s ribs being broken and the gunshot noise still echoed in his ears. 

One thing was for sure though. He would never inflict that pain of being cheated on to anyone else, especially you. That’s why he was so eminent in showing you he was yours. From kissing you in front of Lauren and having her apologize to you. He would never let you experience that pain. Not anymore. 

  
  
  


Flip’s thoughts were yanked back to the present as he heard an unfamiliar voice. He looked around at all the pumpkins and hay scattered across the ground. After he woke up and you so lovingly lectured that he didn’t get enough sleep, he suggested you two have the day together. He watched as your eyes lit up as you explained that you’ve been wanting to go to a pumpkin patch for so long. When he agreed, that smile he liked so much just about melted him in that bed. 

“Do you need help carrying that, darlin’?” Flip noticed a man walking up to you, with his arms open. He was in his mid 20’s and wearing jeans and cowboy boots. Up to no good if you asked him. 

“Uh… I’m okay.” You were looking around trying to find Flip. Your arms were wrapped around the biggest pumpkin you could pick up.

Flip could sense the unease from you as you took a couple steps back, trying to adjust the pumpkin in your arms. Flip flicked his lit cigarette to the ground crushing it as he made his way to you. 

He placed his hand on your lower back, and could feel your body relax as you turned your head towards him. 

“She’s fine.” Flip bent down and grabbed the pumpkin from your arms. He bit his lip trying to hide a smile. Even he was struggling to hold this big ass pumpkin. 

“Uh… Alright. Have a good day, you guys.” The guy flashed you a smile before walking away. Flip knew the guy was probably harmless, but he couldn’t help the jealousy clouding in his mind. 

Flip turned his head towards you, watching as you picked up another pumpkin. You looked like a kid in a candy store. When he chuckled, you whipped your head to look at him. 

“What’s so funny, Zimmerman?” you flashed a smile up to him. 

“You already have 5 in the bed of my truck.” He bit his lip as you stepped closer to him. 

“And what about it?” 

He wanted to drop these stupid pumpkins and wrap his arms around you. He bent down as you stood on your tippy toes to plant a quick kiss on his lips. 

“Why do you need so many?” Flip followed you as you started walking back in the direction of his truck. He couldn’t help but lick his lips as he watched your hips sway back and forth. 

“Jen’s Halloween party. Ron is being discharged today, so they're going to celebrate.” Flip bit his lip as he watched you bend over to set the pumpkin down. The flowy dress you were wearing clung to your curves, as the green fabric whipped around with the wind. 

“What?” It was a second before Flip’s mind wrapped around what you said. “He’s going home already?” He questioned. He didn’t hear anything about Ron’s discharge, let alone a Halloween party. 

“Yeah. The doctors decided he could either be in pain in the hospital bed, or be in pain at home.” Flip set the pumpkin down after you stepped to the side, giving him enough room. 

“A Halloween party though?” Flip shut the tailgate door on his truck.

“Ron didn’t tell you?” you stepped closer to him, wrapping your arms around his waist. How could he be upset while you did that? His arms wrapped around your shoulders, pulling you closer to him. He looked down at you, shaking his head. 

“I guess they assumed you would be my plus one.” you looked up at him with a smirk. 

“Oh is that right?” He lifted his hand and placed it on your cheek. His thumb moved back and forth, as you blinked up at him. 

“You jealous, Zimmerman?” 

Fuck. If you kept calling him that he would melt in your arms right here.

“Me? Jealous?” he scoffed. “Never.” 

Well obviously that was a lie, hence him stepping in to stop farmer boy awhile ago. 

He watched as you leaned into his touch and blinked up at him. Flip couldn’t help but lean down and place his lips against yours. You kissed him back, smiling against him. It’s been  _ years  _ since Flip felt genuine happiness like this. He was of course blocking out his partner getting shot and suited men threatening your life. He stressed out about it enough. He just needed time to enjoy this. 

To enjoy you. 

He felt your arms unwrapped around his waist. Your hands rubbed up and down his broad chest, as you hummed against his lips. He wanted to whine like a little kid when your lips left his. 

“We should get lunch soon.” You looked up at him, still rubbing his chest. 

“I already got that taken care of.” Flip watched as your face twisted with question. 

“What do you mean?” your hands snaked up to the back of his neck, tangling your fingers in the ends of his hair. 

“Come on.” He watched as you smiled up at him, nodding your head. He wanted to treat you today. You deserved to be spoiled. To be happy. He had to make up for the last time you two went out. 

He took a step back and grabbed you by your hand, dragging you up to the cashier set up under a hut in the middle of the pumpkin patch. The woman standing behind the register greeted the two of you. 

“So how many pumpkins are you two taking home?” The lady reminded him of Mary. Soft spoken and a smile to warm your heart. 

“Way too many.” Flip jokingly rolled his eyes. He heard you gasp and felt your hand lightly slap his chest.

“Please ignore him. He didn’t get enough sleep.” He watched as you and the cashier laughed. 

“We’re taking seven.” You smiled to yourself as you rummaged around in your purse, looking for your wallet. 

Flip set his hand on your arm, stopping you. He reached his hand into his back pocket, taking out his wallet. He handed the cashier his card, while holding you back with his other arm. You were reaching to give the cashier your card too. 

Perks of long arms, which you certainly did not have. The cashier laughed as she took Flip’s card.

“You two are so cute! You guys remind me of my husband and I when we were younger.” The woman behind the register smiled. 

Flip snaked his arm around your waist pulling you closer towards him when he noticed your face turning red. 

“Good luck unloading all of them!” The lady laughed again, handing him the receipt.. Flip felt your arm wrap around his torso as you two walked out. 

“Ready for lunch?” Flip questioned. When you two made it to his truck, he opened the passenger door for you, watching your dress flow with wind again. Flip shut the door and walked around to the drivers side. When he was settled and turned the key in the ignition you looked over to him. 

“You still haven’t told me where we are going.” He kept his eyes on the dirt road, driving away from the pumpkin patch. 

“It’s a surprise.” Flip smirked to himself. He sensed you looking outside the window, trying to get any hints from your surroundings. Flip shook his head while reaching out, grabbing your hand to hold. 

  
  


20 minutes later, he was holding his hand out for you to take. He parked his car in a secluded area of the forest he drove into. When you stepped out of the car your face lit up, looking around. He released your hand while digging in the back seat. He grabbed the woven basket that was hidden and shut the door behind him. When he stepped next to you, he took your hand in his again. 

“I packed us a picnic.” He couldn’t get over how cute you looked. That famous smile of yours stayed there as you looked around some more. Flip turned his head to follow your gaze. 

It was an open field that was secluded by the tree line. Past the branches, you could see a body of water. Everything was so green. Flip took a deep breath through his nose, taking advantage of the fresh air. 

“Woah. It’s beautiful here.” You squeezed his hand a little tighter. He couldn’t help but smile at your reaction. 

“Let’s go, baby.” He tugged you along.

Was that… butterflies in his tummy? It’s been forever since he felt like this. 

“Where did you have time to pack or even find this place?” You questioned, helping him lay out the blanket. 

“While you were getting ready.” He chuckled as he grabbed your hand as you sat down. He failed to mention that he’s been researching picnic areas for awhile. 

He joined you on the blanket, placing the basket in front of him. He cleared his throat as he saw you getting comfortable. He bit his lip as he lifted the flap on top of the basket and reached his hand in. 

“These are for you.” He said in a whisper. He was almost shy as he handed you yellow tulips. This was the first time he gave anyone flowers. He watched your reaction carefully. He desperately hoped you liked them. You licked your lips slowly as the corners of your mouth hit your ears. 

That feeling in his chest exploded.

“Thank you, Flip… They’re gorgeous.” You held the flowers up to your chest, almost hugging them. 

“I packed some sandwiches and fruit… and some wine for you.” He pulled out each thing one by one. He pulled out a six pack of beers. He grabbed one and cracked it open. He needed to calm his nerves as soon as he could… 

“Flip… this is… amazing.” He couldn’t help but smile at your response. That feeling in his chest exploded again as you crawled onto your hands, planting your lips on his. His hands went straight for your waist after he set his beer down, pulling you closer to him. He could sense that you were walking towards him with your knees, causing his head to lean up as you got closer. You sat down on your heels as his hands ran up and down your sides. Flip couldn’t help himself. His hands slid down to your bottom, pushing you forward and causing you to lose your balance. 

He caught you of course. He would always be there to catch you. 

After hearing you squeal, he led you down to the ground next to him with your back against the blanket. He felt you smile against his lips as his hand rested on the dip of your waist. He pulled his lips away for a second as he smiled down at you. 

He watched as you bit your lip looking up at him. His eyes flicked between your eyes and body. He watched you under him, noticing you were just as happy as he was. He leaned down, planting his lips on yours again. This time it was more desperate. He needed to know that you were real. That you were in front of him. He deepened the kiss as he closed the space between your bodies. 

He felt as your hand moved up to his shoulder, squeezing his flannel under your fingers. That's when he heard music to his ears. You softly moaned against his lips. This caused Flip to pull you closer to him. He slid his hand up towards your neck, placing his hand on your jaw, slightly squeezing. This resulted in your lips tearing apart.

Flip rubbed his thumb against your bottom lip as he bucked his hips forwards, getting any type of friction he could on his growing length. He watched as you shut your eyes. 

“Flip…” a soft moan left your mouth.

He leaned his head down again as he kissed you again. He felt your hand tangling in his hair, slightly turning your body to turn towards him more. His fucking girl. He almost wanted to pinch himself...

That’s when he heard a group of girls laughing just past the tree line. He pulled away from the kiss, looking up towards the noise of footsteps drawing closer. He huffed in frustration as a group of girls were setting up a picnic of their own. He heard you giggle under him while tugging his hair a little. He looked back over to you, with a wrinkle in between his eyebrows. 

“They’re harmless.” Flip felt cold as you untangled your hands from his hair and sat up. When he didn’t move, he felt you tugging at his sleeve. 

“I wanted us to be alone.” He gave in and sat up. He grabbed his beer once again. 

He promised that he wasn’t going to complain anymore. What could he complain about? Here he was on a beautiful afternoon with his girl. 

  
  
  


It was a few hours before he had to take the wine bottle away from you. He started walking you back to his truck. He had to hold back his laugh seeing you giggle nonstop. 

“Look at you!” He failed as he started laughing.

“Hey! You're the one who didn’t pack water… so it’s not entirely my fault!” Although you were only tipsy, you still made sure to help him with packing up. He opened the passenger door and watched as you tucked the basket behind the seat. He caught himself biting his lip again, watching you bend over the seat. He shook his head when you turned back around, shutting the passenger door behind you. 

“What are you doing?” he questioned. 

“I’m not ready to leave.” he watched as you leaned against his truck, biting your own lip now. 

Flip couldn’t help but smirk. 

“Is that right?” he stepped closer to you, placing his hands over your hips. You nodded your head and lifted your hand to his chest, pulling him closer by his flannel. He felt you stand on your tippy toes, leaning into his ear. 

“I want you…” this caused chills to form over his entire body. When you went back to your original height, he smirked down at you. 

“Here?” he questioned, acting surprised. He watched as you nodded your head, pulling him closer again. 

“Hm… I missed my dirty girl…” He stepped closer, closing the space between you two. He lifted his right hand up to your neck, tangling his fingers in your hair. He looked around, making sure there was no one around before his left hand snaked between your legs. He bit his lip as he felt how soaked your panties were. He released the breath he didn’t know he was holding as he pushed your panties to the side. 

“Fuck, baby…” His fingers worked slowly over your little bundle of nerves. 

He loved watching you like this. His flannel was under your grip as you squeezed your eyes shut. 

He could tell that you weren’t thinking of any consequences as you moaned louder than you should. This caused him to buck his hips to get any sort of friction he could on his growing length. 

But once again the group of voices back at the picnic area distracted him. He pulled his hand away and watched as you opened your eyes. He opened the passenger door before you could start complaining. 

“Get in.” He ordered. You bit your lip, following his orders. When you got in, he shut the door behind you, looking around. When he didn’t see anyone, he walked around to the drivers side. Once he got in he looked over to you. 

“Come here.” He ordered again. He watched as you kicked off your heels. You took a moment as you struggled, but you eventually straddled him. He leaned his head up, kissing your neck softly. 

“I need you, baby…” you whispered. He leaned forward, kissing your neck up and down as his hands lifted your dress. He snaked one of his hands between your legs once again. He watched as your body trembled as he circled around your clit once again. 

“Fuck.” he mumbled under his breath. He kissed up towards your ear, licking your ear lobe. He circled faster. He lost contact with your ear as you rolled your head back. 

“Flip…” he listened as you moaned his name. 

He couldn’t wait any longer... Not after seeing you in this dress all day. He pulled his hand away once again, moving past your legs and going towards his jeans. He lifted his bottom off the seat, lifting you up a little. He managed to unbutton his jeans and yank his throbbing length out. 

“Be a good girl and be quiet for me…” he grunted. He pumped his hand a few times up and down his dick before leading it to your wet entrance, once again pushing your panties to one side. 

A grunt ripped from his throat as you slid down his length. He felt how tight and wet you were, which caused him to lean his head back against the headrest. 

“Shit… You feel so good, baby.” he whispered. He watched as you rocked your hips back and forth, getting enough friction for a loud moan to leave your lips. 

“Flip…” you moaned his name into the little space you had. He watched as you started bouncing up and down, causing his truck to rock with your movements. He bit his lip as he watched you go to work. He wasn’t going to last long. Knowing that it was different, knowing that you two belonged to each other now made everything feel so  _ different.  _

Another grunt ripped from his throat as he led his hand to your folds once again. He circled on your clit as you moaned loud into his ear. You rested your forehead against his temple, moaning once again. 

“My girl…” he turned his head, kissing your forehead. “You feel so fucking good.” He turned his head, looking around through his windows again. He didn’t want anyone ruining this moment. 

_ “Fuck!”  _ He hissed through his teeth. You picked up the rhythm of your hips as you released breathy moans into his ear again. His other hand wrapped around your throat. He watched as you sat up straighter, giving him more access to your throat. 

“Baby…” He whispered. You looked so fucking good like this. 

“Flip!” you yelped as he circled faster on your clit. He thrusted his hips up, grunting as the head of his dick slammed against your cervix. 

“That’s my girl… Say my name again.” He moaned. He bit his lip as he watched you rocked your hips faster. He wished he could have you in his bed, so he could take his time with you. He looked around through the windows again as you moaned loudly in his truck. 

“Flip! I’m gonna-”

He circled on your clit faster as he thrusted his hips up, trying to stimulate your G-spot. He wanted to be quiet. Let your moans fill his truck. He wanted to remember this moment the next time he was alone in here. Remember that you were his girl. He failed as he grunted as you yanked his hair, causing his head to lean up towards the ceiling. He squeezed his eyes shut as he felt his warm cum fill you up. He made sure his thumb was still circling your clit. He wanted you to feel  _ everything. _

His ears were filled by your moans and whimpers as your hips stuttered and came to a stop. 

“Hm… Flip…” left your mouth as a whisper. You picked your head up and brought your lips against his. Flip wrapped his fingers around the dips of your waist as butterflies started in his stomach again.

The kiss was soft as you ran your fingers through his long hair, causing chills to run down his spine. When you pulled away from the kiss, he met your gaze. He could tell that you were sobering up as you blushed down at him. 

“We should get going…” he watched as you bit your lip and made your way over to the passengers seat. Flip couldn’t help but chuckle as he stuffed himself back into his jeans. 

He grabbed your waist again, pulling you closer to him. He smiled to himself as he heard you giggle. He wanted you as close to him as you could. He turned the key in the ignition and looked behind him as he reversed his truck back onto the dirt road. When he shifted gears, he wrapped his arm around your shoulders, leaning over to kiss your temple. 

“Lean on me.” He whispered into your ear before sitting up straight again. He started driving as he felt your head lean against his shoulder. 

“You can drop me off so I can get ready for the party.” you spoke softly. Flip looked down at you for a second before looking back at the road. 

“Nonsense. I’m going to stay with you.” his fingers started caressing your shoulder. 

“Let me guess, you don’t have a halloween costume?” you questioned. This caused Flip to laugh a bit. 

“I’m not wearing a costume, even if I had one.” Flip grabbed the pack of cigarettes from his breast pocket. “Hand me that lighter.” he managed to set a cigarette in his mouth, one handed. 

“Oh, Zimmerman…” you trailed off as you sat up straighter, sparking the lighter and lighting the cigarette in his mouth. 

“Jen’s not going to be happy with you… and you know she’s not shy at showing that.” You smiled over to him as he exhaled the smoke. 

“I’m your plus one… She wouldn’t do any harm to her guest.” He chuckled, pulling you closer to him once again.

“You’d be surprised… She might kick you out!” You joked as you sat a little closer to him. Flip took a slow inhale of his cigarette as he continued to drive. 

You two hummed along with the music on the radio as his fingers intertwined with yours. He was trying to take advantage of this moment. Trying to remember everything he could.

The golden sun from sunset was shining through the window, hitting against your bare legs. The wind from his open window caused the ends of your hair to whip around, tickling his neck. The cool wind slapping across his face as he turned onto your street. He loved the fact that you didn’t move from under his arm though. You didn’t move until he put his truck in park, which proved to him that you wanted to get as much of him as you could. 

When you sat up, you opened the passenger door, stepping out. He watched as your dress rode up, showing him a glimpse of your panties. You turned around, looking at him. 

“You can wait inside while I get ready.” You flashed a smile over to him before shutting your door and walking over to your front door. Flip took a deep breath in as he got himself together. He reached to the back and grabbed the picnic basket, and followed you inside.


	19. Halloween

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SURPRISE WITCHES!!! I've been really good with my posting schedule (are y'all proud?) for this specific chapter!! I wanted to go over something I'm really excited about! 
> 
> I set up a twitter account (spookydal_) and an email account (spookydal@gmail.com) please feel free to follow me/email me your reactions to chapters, questions you have, or if you just wanna get to know me more on a personal level!! I would love for you guys to reach out to me through those! Please don't hesitate to message/tweet me!! 
> 
> happy halloween  
> -Dal.

You bit your lip as you ran the mascara wand through your eyelashes. Even though you were focused on your task, your mind kept wandering back to Flip and the day you two had together. 

It was honestly perfect. You wanted to blame the honeymoon stage of the relationship, but if you were being honest with yourself, you always felt like that with him. You felt… special. Like the only girl in the world. 

He was the only one that could make you feel like that. From the way he looked at you and even touched you… you would do anything for him. 

Anything. 

The only difference now was… you didn’t have to keep wondering where you two stood. Even though he didn’t fully say it, you knew his intentions. He was yours and truly yours. 

You tried to ignore that stupid feeling in your chest again as you took a quick breath, focusing on your other eye. 

You bit your lip a little harder as your mind wandered to you two in his truck. You had to take a break to try and calm your body down. You set your mascara on the counter, taking a step back and looking at yourself.

You managed to steal one of Flip’s many red flannels he left behind. He wouldn’t miss it too much, right? You tucked the front of the button up into your denim skirt and tilted your head to look at it, squinting your eyes a little. 

“Hm…” The skirt you had on was shorter than you wanted. A wrinkle formed in between your eyebrows as you tried to pull it down a bit. 

“Leave it.” You heard Flip’s deep voice cut through the silence, startling you. 

“Jesus! How long have you been standing there?” You lost your gaze with him as you started putting your makeup away. Once you felt your heart rate go back to normal you looked over to him through the mirror. You heard his light footsteps grow closer to you. You took a shaky breath in as you felt his hands settle on your hips, pulling your back against his chest. 

“Is that my flannel?” He whispered loudly in your ear. This caused chills to send down your spine as you stopped organizing. You shut your eyes as he pulled you closer to him. 

“You know I love it when you wear my flannels…” he whispered again. He took a step closer pushing you into the counter in front of you, causing it to dig into your thighs. His hands were running up and down your curves as he kissed your temple. 

“I do know that…” you trailed off as his head dipped lower. He started kissing your neck, leaning you over the counter more. You noticed his hands running up and down your curves, him moaning your name. 

You grabbed the counter in front of you, hearing the slight squeaking as you gripped tight. He continued kissing up your neck, stopping at your ear again. 

“My girl… you look fucking sexy with my flannel on.” You could feel his hot breath against your skin. 

“Flip…” you couldn’t help but moan, lifting your head to lean back against his shoulder. You felt his hands roaming again on your curves. His fingertips stopped on your hips, squeezing as he turned you around towards him. 

You let a breathy moan out as he pressed his hips against yours, letting you feel his length growing in his jeans. 

He leaned his head down, planting a desperate and hungry kiss on your lips. You instinctively wrapped your arms around his shoulders, pulling him closer to you. You felt his hands grip your hips once more, lifting you up onto the counter. You let out a small gasp against his lips as he stood in between your legs, now pressing his length against your inner thigh. He broke the kiss, catching his breath. 

“Flip…” you tried your best to stay focused as his finger slowly traced against your inner thigh leading to your denim skirt. 

“Yes, baby?” He mumbled under his breath. You watched as he bit his lip, squeezing your thigh under his hand. 

“The party…” you trailed off as his lips met your neck again, leaving soft kisses. 

“Fuck the party.” You felt his breath hit your skin again. He started leaving soft bites up and down your neck as he bucked his hips against your inner thigh. A moan slipped out of your mouth, squeezing your eyes shut. 

“I have to help Jen set up…” you regretting the words right as you spoke it. You heard him groan in frustration, lifting his head from your neck. 

You bit your lip, trying to fight back a laugh. You watched as he squinted his eyes at you. Your name fell off his lips. 

“What are you going as anyways?” The frustration didn’t leave his voice as his hands rested on your hips. 

“Ah… Check it out.” You managed to get out of his grip and off the counter as you walked out into your bedroom. You shuffled around in your closet before finding what you needed. You bit your lip trying to hide your excitement as you turned around to walk back. You kept the items behind your back before catching his gaze again. 

Flip was standing against the counter with his arms crossed, waiting for you. You stopped a few feet away from him, leaning against the door frame. He was tapping his foot. The anxious feeling that was growing caused you to hold your breath. What if he didn’t like your costume? What if he would refuse to go to the party? What if he demanded you change? 

“Let’s see it then.” You watched as he tilted his head, trying to see what you were holding behind your back. 

You couldn’t help but feel nervous under his gaze. You bit your lip and revealed what you were holding. Two plastic axes. 

“Oh no…” he trailed off. You figured he made the connection. 

“We’re going as lumberjacks!” you couldn’t hold back your smile. Even though you were nervous for his reaction, you thought it was a brilliant idea. You bought these at a costume store a couple of years ago when you and Jen had another matching costume. You knew Flip would fight you on matching costumes, so you worked with what you had…

Flip uncrossed his arms and stepped closer as he placed his hands on your hips once again. You set the plastic axes down as you looked up at him. You were still trying to read his reaction. The levels of anxiety calmed in your body when he flashed a smile down at you. 

“You’re so cute…” He shook his head at you, still smiling down. This caused you to wrap your arms around his shoulders.

“So you’ll go?” You flashed a smile at him, hoping it’ll seal the deal. 

He turned his head as his face scrunched up. He was pretending to contemplate it, but he couldn’t hold the joke as he looked over to you laughing. 

“Of course… Let’s go. I gotta unload all those pumpkins we got.” He pretended to roll his eyes now. You laughed up at him while lightly slapping his shoulder. 

“Oh, you’re a funny guy now?” you laughed as you bent down to grab the axes. You turned around and made it back to your bedroom. You sat on your bed putting on your boots, completing the outfit. 

  
  
  
  


“That’s the last one,” Flip grunted as he placed the 7th pumpkin on Jen’s porch. You were giving him directions on the way you wanted them placed. You took a step back, trying to get a better view of them. Your fingers were fidgeting with toy axes that were occupying your hands. Flip joined you by your side as you tilted your head. The front door flying open stole your attention. The flash of pink caught your eye as Jen was running towards you with open arms. 

“Finally!! You took forever!” She wrapped her arms around your body, pulling you away from Flip’s side. A laugh left your lips as you hugged her back. She squeezed you a little tighter before unwrapping her arms and taking a step back. 

“Oh my God! You look so cute!” you flashed a smile as your eyes roamed over her costume. Jen was wearing a light pink dress that went to her mid-thighs. You noticed how amazing she looked with it perfectly hugging her curves. The next thing you noticed was the pig nose attached to her face. Your eyes switched to her head as you saw the pink headband, giving her pig ears. 

You had a suspicion that she was ignoring Flip when she twirled her index finger around, trying to get a good look at you. 

“Hm… and what are you supposed to be?” The confusion on her face was in plain view as you playfully rolled your eyes. You gave a quick twirl as you held up the toy axes in your hand. You handed one to Flip as you found his arm around your shoulders, pulling you closer to him. 

“Lumberjacks.” Flip’s deep voice echoed off his chest as you leaned into him. 

You nibbled on your lip when Jen didn’t even look his way. 

Flip cleared his throat, squeezing you a bit closer to him. You were relieved when you heard soft footsteps approaching Jen, interrupting the awkward silence. 

“Am I seeing double?! Are those two Zimmermans?” Ron came into view as he stepped past the threshold, standing beside Jen. The drainage system from his chest tube was firm in his hand as he had a smile on his face. Even though you could tell something was off about Jen, you couldn’t help but smile at Ron’s costume. 

He was wearing all black, with four knee high socks duct-taped to the sides of his torso. You felt Flip’s chest echo again as you heard a chuckle from above your head. 

“What is  _ that _ ?” Flip questioned as his fingers caressed your shoulders. Your smile grew bigger as you watched Ron hold out his arms, causing the socks to lift up. As you mentally counted his makeshift spider legs, you noticed two of them were his chest tubes, completing his costume. 

“Charlotte’s Web…” You made the connection. 

“Wait… Isn’t Charlotte a woman?” Flip commented, making everyone laugh. 

Except for Jen. 

“Wow. I didn’t know you could read.” Jen crossed her arms leaning against the door frame, scoffing. Your gaze averted up towards Flip’s face as his mouth was gaping open, shocked at her words. 

“Uh… We had to work with what we got…” Ron was quick to intervene as his fingers gripped the handle of his drainage system. 

Ron spoke your name, letting your eyes fall on him once again. 

“Can I steal Flip for a moment while you help Jen finish up?” You could tell by the look he gave you, he was telling you that you needed to talk to her. 

“Of course.” You felt Flip’s grip around your shoulder loosen as you were now standing next to Jen. 

“I won’t keep him long, I promise.” Ron flashed you a quick smile before walking back in. Flip turned his head to look at you for a second before following Ron.

You look a deep breath looking over at Jen. Her arms were still crossed as she sighed. 

“Come on.” You watched as she closed the front door behind you two, walking towards the kitchen. Orange and purple lights were hanging off the ceiling. A couple of tiny skeletons were sitting at different places around the living room as you walked past them. When you stopped at the kitchen island, you watched as Jen unloaded bottles of various liquors out of a paper bag. 

“What’s up, Jen?” you grabbed one of the untouched bags on the island and helped her unload. 

“You tell me.” She wasn’t looking at you, which told you one thing. This wasn’t good. 

You sighed, looking around, making sure the guys weren’t in earshot. 

“It’s about Flip, isn’t it?” you kept your voice low, folding the bag in your hands before you handed it to her. 

“Of course it is!” She was trying to match your hushed tone but was failing horribly. 

“He was literally flirting with that bitch, and now you’re walking in with him.” She shook her head. “And with matching costumes, might I add.” She took a quick breath. 

“I’m not stupid, I know that’s his shirt!” you watched as she set the paper bags in one of the cabinets, now rearranging the bottles on the counter. Your teeth were biting down on the inside of your cheek as you managed to find the words. 

“Things are different now…” you trailed off. Words were still failing you as you watched Jen crossing her arms again. 

“Oh really? After what? Two days?” Jen scoffed again, leaning her hip against the kitchen counter.

“Yes.” you walked over to stand next to her. You heard your name slip past her lips in a concerned tone. 

“Jen… You trust me, right?” you looked over to her as you joined her against the counter.

“I do… but sometimes you can be blind with this kind of stuff.” She waved her hand in the air as if she was waving towards something. You took a slow breath as you nodded your head. 

“I know… I know…” You took a moment to find the right words. You adjusted your hip against the counter, turning towards her.

“I just want you to be careful… You know I worry about you.” She uncrossed her arms, as she was pulling you into a side hug. Your arm wrapped around her, leaning your head against her shoulder. You closed your eyes thinking back to Flip standing at your door the other night. How desperate he was to show you that you were his. 

“I know, but ease up on him.” You whispered as your mind flashed to the picnic. The wind blowing through your hair as your fingers intertwined with his. 

The rise and fall of Jen’s chest told you she took a deep breath. You squeezed your eyes tighter as you huffed. 

“Please,” you whispered. The crunching of the hay under your feet rang in your ear as you pictured the pumpkin patch. 

“Fine, but I trust you… Not him.” Jen’s words brought your head back up. 

“Jen-” 

The sound of clapping interrupted you as you whipped your head to find where it was coming from. You peeked into the living room and saw Ron sitting on the couch, clapping his hands.

“The place looks amazing! Babe, you did such a great job!” Ron tried his best not to flinch as he settled more into the couch. He was setting his drainage system at his feet, making sure it didn’t fall over. 

Your gaze was stolen by Flip storming towards the front door with a cigarette in his mouth. You pushed yourself off the kitchen counter, looking at Jen for a moment before following him outside. 

“Flip?” your voice was low with your question. His eyebrows were low as he lit his cigarette. His chest rose as he took a deep inhale, gathering enough nicotine to get through the night. When the smoke left his nose, he looked over to you. 

“Are you okay?” You were timid with taking a step closer, but when he held his arm out, you were quick to wrap your arms around his torso. 

“She doesn’t like me, does she?” Flip looked up towards the sky, watching the sunset. You followed his gaze, noticing the orange and red tones screaming at your vision. You leaned your head against his chest as you took a quick breath. 

“She’s… coming around to you…” Okay, it wasn’t the total truth, but you didn’t want to ruin his night. Flip’s chest rose again, taking another deep inhale of his cigarette. 

“She already didn’t like Lauren…” The fabric against your skin rubbed your face as you lifted your head to see his reaction. 

“The other night was the tipping point for her…” you finished your thought. Flip shook his head before looking down at you. His mouth opened and shut, words failing him. 

“I’m sorry…” a whisper leaving his lips. You reached your hand and placed it against his cheek, your thumb carefully rubbing back and forth. 

“I know…” You stood on your tippy-toes as he leaned down, leaving a soft kiss against your lips. Your hand was now rubbing up and down his sternum, trying to comfort him. 

“Let’s just enjoy the party, okay? People should be showing up soon.” You flashed a quick smile up at him, hoping he would forget about Jen for now. 

“Yeah, you’re right.” He flicked his cigarette at the driveway, now wrapping both arms around you. 

You could still sense the guilt radiating off of him. You bit your lip, once again caressing his cheek. 

“Come on! It’s Halloween!” Your fingers now tugging at the ends of his hair. You watched as he playfully rolled his eyes before planting a soft kiss on your forehead. 

“Let’s go, lumberjack.” 

  
  
  
  
  


The Halloween music and crunching of plastic cups at your feet distracted you for a moment. It took a couple of seconds before your mind refocused on what you were doing. 

“So he’s okay?” You recognized the guy that asked you this. He worked with Jen… you just couldn’t remember his name. Not with all the shots of tequila clouding your mind. But he looked so…  _ familiar.  _ You just couldn’t put your finger on it. 

“He’ll have the chest tubes for a while, but he’s gonna be just fine.” You sipped on the concoction Ron made in the punch bowl set out on the kitchen table. Your face twisted with the slow burn down your throat. 

_ “If I can’t drink, I might as well get y’all drunk!”  _

This was Ron’s motto for the night after you basically slapped a beer out of his hand. You were very specific on your instructions from his discharge paperwork. No alcohol with his pain medications. 

“He was very lucky to have you.” The guy shook his head, still in shock of Ron’s condition. You looked around the living room, now filled with people in costumes. Your eyes went directly towards the only other flannel in the house. Flip was sipping on a beer as he leaned against the kitchen counter. He was nodding his head to whatever Ron was telling him. 

“Anyone could have done it.” Your eyes then averted back to the guy in front of you as you followed his hand. He was reaching around to your lower back. Why do they always do that?

“Oh, come on! You’re a badass! Own up to it!” You weren’t shy about showing the face of disgust as you stepped away, trying to leave his reach. The long sipping noise from his cup grew closer as he rested his hand on your lower back again, unable to take a hint.

“How long has it been since we went out?” The guy leaned in, whispering in your ear. 

It all came back to you in an instant, your mind flashed back to three years ago...even though you wish you could have forgotten. 

Jen forced you to go out with the guy, trying to get you out of the house. That was the first and last time you agreed to go on a blind date. Especially with ones that made you pay for everything. 

Let’s just say you ghosted the guy the next day. 

You felt his hand reached around to your hip, yanking you towards him. You were already pushing him off as you heard loud footsteps rushing towards you. 

“Is there a problem, man?” Flip stepped a little too close as the guy strained his neck to make eye contact with him. 

“No man, get out of here…” the guy pulled your hip more, causing you to bump into his chest. 

“Jesus Christ, Bob! Are you causing problems?!” Jen’s voice shouted from across the room. 

“No! It’s this giant right here!” You scrunch your face again. Why the fuck would you agree to go out on a date with anyone named Bob?? You were successful this time in pushing his grip off of you as you walked over towards Flip. 

“I’m her fucking boyfriend, you fucking idiot.” 

The corners of your mouth turned into a smile. That was the first time you heard that out loud. You honestly couldn’t help it. That stupid feeling filled your chest as Flip turned towards you, ignoring Bob as if he was insignificant. 

And insignigicant he was. 

You sipped your plastic cup again, watching Bob’s face turn red as he walked away. 

“Hey.” You said softly, looking up at Flip. You felt his large hands wrapping around your hips as he chuckled. 

“You good, baby?” He pulled you closer to him. You could feel buzzing from his chest as he hummed. 

“I’m perfect... now.” You sipped again. His fingertips tightened. Chills spread across your body as Flip leaned down and placed his lips against your ear. 

“Don’t think I’ve forgotten about earlier.” You shuddered as you felt his hot breath. You didn’t have time to react before you were suddenly being tugged along by your hand, dodging people left and right. Flip was dragging you up the stairs and into the guest bathroom. 

You bit your lip as Flip locked the door behind him. You looked around, seeing the fake bloody handprints over the mirror. 

Flip’s fingers pressed on either side of your jaw, yanking your attention towards him. He pressed a little harder, letting your mouth hang open. 

“Do I have to remind you…” he trailed off as he leaned in, speaking in a low growl. “That you belong to me?” His eyes switched between your eyes and open mouth. 

You nodded your head against his grip. This should be fun…

His eyes roamed over your entire body as he smirked down at you. His tight grip pushed your head back as he guided you to the counter.

“Sit.” He ordered, with his grip still on your jaw. Your hands searched behind you, grabbing the counter as you holsted yourself up. Your nipples pebbled as his other hand traced your inner thigh again for the second time that night. 

You paid special attention to his fingers as his hand snaked under your skirt. His fingers played with your lace panties. The bathroom walls echoed his grunts. 

“Take this shit off.” He demanded. You were quick to shimmy your way out of your panties. Although, it was a struggle without throwing your tight denim skirt across the room. 

“Give it to me.” The pressure around your jaw loosened as his hand was signally you to hand them over, and fast. 

You nibbled on your lip as you noticed the additional weight of your panties due to your slick folds. You carefully watched him as he stuffed them in his back pocket. His head leaned into your ear.

“If you’re a good girl, you might get these back.” He whispered loudly. This caused you to let a soft moan out, watching him. His hands were now at the hem of your skirt, pushing them up your thigh and around your waist. The cold counter hitting your folds caused your body to shiver again. The shuffling of his cowboy boots filled your ears as he stepped closer to stand in between your legs. 

His hands were now on your knees, ever so slowly spreading your legs open for him. His fingers lightly traced your inner thigh as they were growing closer to your dripping folds. 

“Will you show me you’re a good girl?” His middle finger quickly swirled around your clit, causing your head to fall back. You bit down on your lip, words failing you as his finger drew tight circles. 

“ _ My  _ good girl.” He now leaned in, whispering loudly in your ear again. His finger worked faster as a grunt ripped from his throat. His other hand tangled itself in your hair, tugging lightly. Your head was softly yanked back as his lips were now leaving soft kisses along your jawline. 

“Y-Yes.” you stuttered as his finger slid down, slowly pumping his finger. 

“So you’re going to listen to what I say?” the soft kisses were turning into soft bites along your neck.

“Y-Yes!” You moaned loudly. This caused him to pull tightly on your hair as he bucked his hips against one of your thighs. 

“Then be fucking quiet.” His voice was low as he inserted another finger. You let a shaky breath out, obeying his command. 

“Hm… That’s my girl.” You bit down on your lip as your hands gripped the counter on either side of your thighs. 

“You look so fucking good with my shirt on…  _ Fuck… _ ” he hissed through his teeth. 

“Showing everyone you’re mine.” he practically growled. He released his grip on your hair, letting you finally look at him. Your teeth bit down lower on your lip as you tried not to scream. Another grunt ripped his throat as he took his fingers out, holding it out in front of your mouth. 

“Suck.” He demanded again. You were quick to obey as you opened your mouth. His thick fingers were shoved against your tongue as you wrapped your lips around them. A wrinkle formed in between your eyebrows as your tastebuds were filled with your bitter taste. You felt your clit aching for friction as he rolled his head, trying to compose himself. 

A loud pop filled your ears as he yanked his fingers out. You watched as his hands gripped your hips, pulling you closer against him. The chills on your body followed his hands as he ran up and down your curves a few times. A deep breath out of his nose told you he was losing patience. 

His hands lifted to your chest, lightly tracing your skin that was showing. You looked up at him as he was licking his lips. 

You gasped as you heard the noise of ripped fabric come from your chest. Flip grunted as his hands tore your shirt open, causing the buttons to fly everywhere. Goosebumps formed on your skin as the cool air hit your bare chest.

Flip’s grunts filled your ears as his hands now worked on his own pants, freeing his desperate length. 

“What the fuck-” 

“Come here.” He was now tugging one of your hands. You once again followed his command as you pushed yourself closer to him, ass basically hanging off the counter. 

“Be quiet.” His voice growled. He wrapped his arm around your waist, anchoring you in place. You watched as his hand led his throbbing cock towards your entrance. Your eyes rolled back as your name slipped from his mouth as a moan, sinking himself in. 

_ “Fuck.”  _ He hissed through his teeth. 

You wrapped your arms around his shoulders, letting your head fall between his neck and shoulder. The soft echoes of your quiet moans filled your ears as you squeezed your eyes shut. The sound of slapping skin filled the bathroom, along with his soft grunts. 

“All. Mine.” You could hear his stutters between grunts slipping from his throat. 

“Baby…” you wrapped your legs around his waist as he snapped his hips harder. His hands were now on your back, trying to get enough leverage. His fingers squeezing the fabric on your back as you bit down on his neck. This caused him to grunt in frustration, pulling you away from his neck.

“Turn around.” His words were desperate, letting himself slip out of you. You were quick to hop down from the counter when he stepped back. You were timid as you turned around. He softly placed his hand on your back, pushing you to bend at your waist. Your view was mostly the sink, and the edge of the mirror. Your head instinctively fell as he slipped his length through your folds again. His grunts were getting louder with each thrust he took. 

“Look at me.” He hissed through his teeth. His left hand gripped the smallest part of your waist, as you struggled to bring your head up. 

“Flip…” You squeezed your eyes shut as his right hand was now rubbing your clit, swirling around. You felt his hand loosen on your waist, as his new grip was on your jaw again. He shook your chin, getting your full attention. Your hands gripped the edge of the sink as your eyes flew open onto him. Stray pieces of hair bounced over his face with each thrust he took. His face was turning red as he moaned your name. 

“I want you to see what I see.” His finger circled around your clit, causing your legs to wobble. Another tug of your jaw, had you looking at yourself now. You couldn’t help but moan at the view of yourself. 

Pieces of hair fell over your face and was sticking to your wet lips. Your eyebrows burrowing as his fingers swirled faster over your bundle of nerves. Your mouth hung open, still being controlled by his hand. Your eyes then traveled over your body. The flannel hung open as you watched your breasts bounce with each snap of his hips. You then focused on your denim skirt bundled around your waist. This reminded you of your panties being shoved in his back pocket as you saw you were naked past the skirt. 

“Flip!” you were failing him as you loudly moaned his name. Your eyes slammed shut as the hand on your jaw moved to your neck. He lifted you up, causing your back to hit his chest once again. Your head rolled back onto his shoulder as the grip around your neck tightened. 

“That’s right, baby. Scream my name… tell everyone here who you belong to.” He stuttered through moans. He loosened his grip around your neck, giving you enough room for you to obey his command once again. 

You hated disappointing him, so why were you going to start now? You screamed his name over and over as he swirled his finger around along with the speed of his hips. They both stuttered as you could feel him twitching from inside of you, letting him fill you up with his warm load. 

“Flip…” slipped your lips as a whimper as you finally caught your breath. It was a moment before he slipped out, stuffing himself back into his jeans. You ran your hands through your hair, trying to catch your breath when you felt tugging on your skirt. You opened your eyes and looked through the mirror. He was pulling your skirt down, trying to swipe the wrinkles out of it. 

You then looked up to your bare chest, remembering he ripped your only shirt. 

“God dammit, Zimmerman.” You heard laughing from behind you. You turned around, ready to lecture him, but him unbuttoning the shirt he had on distracted you.

“Calm down!” He laughed again. You watched as he shimmied out of his flannel, being left in his white thermal. 

“Give me that one.” He was tugging on the sad excuse of a shirt, still on you. 

You shook your head, trying to hold back a smile as you once again obeyed him. You shivered as you stood there for a second, before Flip handed you his flannel… with actual buttons on them. You looked up at him, with a wrinkle in between your eyebrows. 

“I have an undershirt… you don’t.” He was now putting on the broken flannel. Dammit. He even looked good in that. 

You took a deep breath, putting on his as you looked at yourself in the mirror. You sobering up caused you to gasp. 

“Jesus, it’s two different colors!” You tried not to laugh as you stepped back, standing next to him. “People are going to notice…” you shook your head again, buttoning the flannel back up. You felt his hands snake around your hips, pulling you closer to him. He leaned his head over, feeling his hot breath against your ear. 

“That just further proves that you’re mine.” He bit down on your earlobe, causing chills to spread across your body. You let a shaky breath out as you closed your eyes. 

“A-And what about my panties?” You stuttered, holding his shoulders as he turned your body to face his. 

“What about them?” You could hear the smirk through his words as he left wet kisses down your neck. You squeezed your eyes tighter when Flip’s grip grew tighter on your hips. His kisses were interrupted when a few soft knocks came from the other side of the bathroom door. Your eyes shot open as Flip lifted his head, sighing in frustration. 

“Time for us to go.” Flip mumbled under his breath as he opened the door. It was almost embarrassing how fast you broke out in a laugh when you saw who was knocking. 

Bob. 

His face turned cherry red as he put everything together. His eyes started out on your messy hair and wrinkled skirt, then switched over between the switched flannels. 

“Uh… Hey…” He gripped the beer bottle in his hand as his eyes were now looking down at his feet. 

“Cool party, right?” You could hear Flip’s smirk once again. You nudged his arm with your elbow as you bit your lip, trying to hold back another laugh. 

“Let’s go.” You grabbed Flip by the hand and dragged him out of the bathroom with you. “You’re going to get me in trouble, Zimmerman.” 

  
  
  


The rest of the night you two laughed with Jen and Ron. You were glad Jen was going to lay off of Flip, even if it was only for tonight. You said your goodbyes after helping Jen clean up for a bit before Flip walked you to his truck for the second time that day. 

“All those shots…” He chuckled as he had his arm wrapped around your waist. You giggled as you looked over to him. You saw a smile plastered over his face. He looked so…  _ happy _ . 

“Hey… I’m sobering up pretty quickly!” The smile on his face never left as he opened the passenger door to his truck. 

“You can’t blame it on me forgetting to pack water this time.” His hands were on your hips, guiding you into his truck. Just like that first night with him. You looked over to him as he was leaning in, buckling your seatbelt. You took a deep breath through your nose before reaching your hands out, grabbing his face. He stopped what he was doing as he switched between both of your eyes. The knot in his throat bobbed up and down as he carefully watched you. You intertwined your fingers into his hair, pulling his face closer to yours. Another smile grew on his face as he leaned in, kissing you.

You were getting suspicious of the feeling you kept getting with him. You weren’t 100% sure what it was, or even what it felt like. You always thought you knew what it felt like with previous boyfriends, but this? This was something entirely different. You just had to be sure before you looked like an idiot blurting it out...

Your thoughts were shut down by him pulling away from the kiss. 

“Let’s get you home.” He pecked a soft kiss on your lips before shutting the door and climbing into the driver's seat. 

You started comparing yourself to that first night. You were so quiet, looking around his truck, trying to gather as much information as you could on him. You were scared to even look at him…

Now here you were, unbuckling your seatbelt to lean against him. He wrapped his arm around your shoulder, making sure you didn’t go anywhere. You would look up, glancing at him every once in a while, catching him in a smile. His nose burying into your hair as he kissed your head before driving through the green lights. His fingers caressing your arm as he hummed to himself. 

Even though you were sure you were completely sober by now, he still opened your door for you, helping you get out of his truck. That familiar touch on your lower back as he walked you towards your place. 

“Thank you for today…” you said quietly, sitting on your porch swing. Your eyes followed his figure as he sat next to you. 

Okay maybe you were still a little tipsy. Your mind kept flashing over you guys in his truck and in the bathroom at the party. You bit your lip as you squeezed your thighs together. You were trying to calm yourself, but get the friction you wanted. If you still had your panties on, they would be soaked, once again. You scooted over, letting your thigh rest against his. 

You watched as he reached his arm around you, resting it across your shoulders. You watched as he smiled down at you. 

“It was great, wasn’t it?” His other hand resting on your thigh caused a spark of fire across your skin. 

“It was, baby.” You looked into his eyes as you bit down on your lip. You watched as his eyes travelled onto your cleavage peeking through the flannel. 

“Hm… What was your favorite part?” He leaned in, whispering. You were being tugged closer to him by the arm around your shoulders as his other hard started to caress your thigh. His eyes met yours once again.

“The picnic was pretty nice… but I would have to say…” you leaned in, whispering against his lips. “Your truck.” 

Flip’s breath hit against your lips before he pulled you into a sloppy kiss. Your hand went straight to his hair as you tangled your fingers in it, causing him to let a grunt slip from his throat. Your other hand rested over his growing bulge in his pants, which caused you to moan against his lips. He pulled away, catching his breath as you slowly rubbed against him. 

“My baby…” he mumbled under his breath. This caused a smile to spread across your face as you worked your hand more. A little  _ thump  _ filled your ears as he leaned his head back. “So greedy… You want more?” he whispered, shutting his eyes. 

You hands were now working at his button and zipper, your mission to release him from his fucking jeans. You quickly scanned around your neighborhood making sure you didn’t see anyone standing around, getting a free show. Your neighborhood was pretty good at this time of night. You were usually the only one awake. 

“I want as much of you as I can get, baby.” You leaned into his ear, licking his ear lobe slowly. You managed to finally free him, bouncing your hand a few times before standing up. This caused him to lift his head, a wrinkle forming between his eyebrows. He licked his lips as you slowly sat on your knees in front of him. Sitting yourself in between his legs. You wrapped your hands around his knees, spreading his legs open for you. 

“Fuck.” He hissed through his teeth. He moaned your name as you licked his throbbing cock, aching for attention. You slowly licked from the shaft, up to his head as he kept eye contact with you. His eyes scanned your streets for a split second before he came back to you. You licked one more time as he softly tangled his hand in your hair. 

“Baby…” You watched as his eyes rolled back, his head once again hitting the wall behind him. This gave you the confidence you needed as you bobbed your head up and down. He didn’t pull your hair or push you down. No. He wanted to take his time with you. To feel your mouth.

He bit down on his lip, suppressing another moan as you gagged yourself, nose hitting the bottom of his abdomen. Your name kept slipping out of his mouth, as he was reminding himself that you were all his. Like he was in a dream or something. 

You hummed, causing vibrations to form around him. His hand gripped tighter, and you gagged yourself again. This is when you felt the grip on your hair grow tight. He yanked your head up causing a mixture of spit and his precum to spill out of your mouth. 

“Come here.” He hissed through his teeth. You stood on your feet as you scanned the streets again. You blinked a few times as you could have sworn you saw headlights… just sitting there, but Flip didn’t seem to notice as he tugged your hand, causing you to climb on him, causing a swaying motion of the porch swing. 

“F-Flip.” you stuttered. You tried to get his attention, but him thrusting into your folds managed to shut you up. 

It was probably nothing, right? 

“I’m here, baby…” His hands managed to lift the rest of your skirt up, just enough to give him access. When he was happy with the placement, his fingertips dug into your skin, guiding your hips to pick up a rhythm. You bit your lip as you rocked your hips, causing the porch swing to follow with you. You tried looking back, but Flip’s hand found your jaw again, directing your face to look at his. 

“Baby…” You tried to tell him, you really did, but the way he was looking at you… You couldn’t break it to him. At least not right now. 

“I’m here, baby… I’ll always be here.” His right hand loosened and found its way on the side of your face. Chills formed against your skin as his thumb caressed your cheek. You closed your eyes, leaning into him as those words repeated in your head. His other hand loosened as his arm wrapped around your waist, pulling you closer to him. 

Something was different. Even after that night you had dinner with him. He was desperately holding onto you. Almost like he was scared you were going to disappear. You shut your eyes as you felt your walls clench around him. You heard him moan your name as you leaned into his touch. You rocked your hips a little faster as you felt his head lean in. Soft wet kisses were left on your temple as you released a soft breathy moan. 

“Baby… I’m close…” you stuttered. You felt his trail of kisses go down your cheek and onto your neck as his thumb was now circling on your clit. 

“Cum for me.” he whispered against your neck. “Just for me.” 

“Only for you.” you moaned. Even though you had your eyes shut, you felt your vision grow white as you felt your body tensing around him. You heard him moan your name a few times before you caught your breath. When you came back to reality your head whipped back behind you. 

The car was now closer, with the headlights still on. You took a moment to notice that it was a black SVU, with tinted windows… even the windshield. Not very common. You felt Flip’s hand direct your face back towards him.

“What's wrong?” He questioned. He leaned over to see what you were looking at. You leaned in to kiss him before he could look. You knew he wasn’t going to be happy about someone getting a free show. He already didn’t like it when someone put their hands on you. So you tried your best to hide it from him. 

You didn’t want to ruin a perfect day with him. 

You felt like you were successful when he smiled against your lips. You pulled away, leaning your forehead against his. 

“Let’s get some rest.” A whisper left his mouth. You were quick to nod your head, slowly standing off of him and the porch swing. You shoved your skirt back down as his hand rested on your lower back, leading you to your front door. You held the door open, watching him walk in. Before you could shut the door and lock it, you looked towards the street again. 

The car sitting in front of your house flashed their brights at you, before slowly driving away. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just want to take a moment to let you guys know that I'm so fucking grateful for you guys. I have made so many friendships/connections from this story alone... so thank you guys for being awesome.


	20. Violated

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good morning ;) 
> 
> are y'all ready? 
> 
> -dal

The warmth traveled down your throat as you took a sip of your coffee. You were quick to have another when you could feel the exhaustion in your eyes. The noise of coffee dripping filled your ears as you brewed another cup for Flip. You could hear his heavy footsteps echo throughout your home while he got ready for work. Darkness filled your field of vision as you closed your eyes, lifting the cup to your mouth again. The comfort of knowing someone else was with you put your nerves at ease, especially after last night. 

Your mind kept flashing back to that black SUV with the headlights on. You just felt…  _ violated.  _ I mean sure, it was technically your fault for giving them a free show, but still. Who does that shit anymore? There is plenty of free stuff on the internet. The whole thing caused you to toss

and turn all night, and you couldn’t help but feel weirded out. 

“Thank you, baby.” Flip’s words interrupted your thoughts as he kissed your cheek from behind. He placed his right hand on your hip as he leaned over, grabbing his coffee cup with his left. 

“No problem.” You wrapped both your hands around your coffee cup, trying to warm up. The morning chill hit your bare legs. Flip took a few steps towards the kitchen table and snatched one of the pieces of toast you made for him. 

“How much coffee have you had?” He questioned through munching. You turned around, leaning against the counter watching him. 

“I’m on my third.” Your voice echoed as you lifted the cup to your mouth again. You could feel the steam from the coffee warm your face. 

“Didn’t sleep well?” Another crunch from the toast as he took a big bite. You shook your head as you set your coffee down on the counter behind you. Your eyes averted to your bare legs, noticing the oversized t-shirt you wore went only to your mid-thighs. You felt like if you kept eye contact with him, he would notice you weren’t telling him anything. 

“Don’t forget Jen and Ron are coming over for dinner tonight.” Your gaze was back to Flip as he was picking up another piece of toast. He nodded his head, walking back over to you. He set his cup next to yours before his free hand gripped your arm, pulling you against his chest. You couldn’t help but smile to yourself as you wrapped your arms around his waist, leaning your head against his chest. You carefully listened as you heard the soft  _ thumps _ of his heart beating. 

“Try to get some sleep before they come.” His voice was muffled through his chest. You squeezed him a little tighter as you shut your eyes. You sighed as the headlights preoccupied your mind once again. 

“I’ll try.” you lied. You knew that if you tried to nap, you would just toss and turn again. You bit your lip as Flip stepped out of your hold, grabbing his coffee cup again. He took a few big sips, finishing his cup. You watched as he walked over to the sink, rinsing out his cup. 

“I gotta go, baby. I’ll see you tonight.” He took a few large steps making his way back over to you. You couldn’t help but giggle as he attacked you with kisses around your forehead and temple. You wrapped your arms around him, pulling him closer to you. Your lips managed to meet his, giving him an actual goodbye kiss. 

“Don’t be late!” You shouted, but there was no use since he was already out the door. 

You took a deep breath through your nose as you felt the emptiness around you. It was quiet, and you didn’t like it. Not at all. The last remaining coffee in your cup was thrown into your mouth before you set it in the sink next to Flip’s. Your feet directed you towards the bathroom while your hand reached out to start the hot water, hoping it would wash the dirty feeling off of you. 

You tried not to shut your eyes for too long. The headlights in the street would just come back to haunt you. The things you would do to forget you saw that. Everything about that day was perfect. If it had anything to do with Flip, a smile automatically spread across your face. You tried your hardest to remember how he held you on the porch swing. His words echoing in your mind as you tried to shove the headlights out of your mind. 

_ “I’ll always be here.”  _

You shut your eyes as you pictured him. His eyes shut as his head rolled back. Your name slipping from his lips as he held you tighter. His hands… How you turned your head after… headlights. 

Goddammit. 

You were  _ so  _ close to forgetting them. So fucking close. 

You sighed as you washed the soap off your body. The hot water punched against your skin relieving some of the tension you didn’t know you were holding onto. You rolled your shoulders back, trying your best to relieve the rest of the tightness that was being stubborn.

“Fuck!” Echoed in the bathroom when you couldn’t get the car out of your mind. You felt dirtier than you did before the shower… 

You rolled your eyes shutting off the water. The towel clung onto your curves as you stepped out, swallowing the knot in your throat. 

You tried to focus on your tasks. The more details, the less you forgot about the car.

The brush in your hands moved back and forth as you focused on your tangles. The noise filled your ears as you were yanking the brush through your hair. You pumped some of your hair oil into your hands, rubbing back and forth. Fingers running through your wet ends, then working its way up to your roots. You huffed as flashes of the car made it through your mind once again. A quick breath, trying to control your anger as you washed your hands. 

You walked over to your closet now. Picking an outfit would for sure distract you. Your fingers ran back and forth over the many items of clothing hanging up. You reached for some skinny jeans. Your teeth bit down on your lip as your eyes switched back and forth over your clothes. You sighed when you settled on an oversized sweater.

  
  
  


You managed to forget about  _ you know what _ while getting dressed and walking to the grocery store. You were trying to waste as much time as you could before Flip came home and your little dinner party started. The store was only a few blocks down the road, so you figured there wasn’t any harm to it. The crisp weather already sounded appealing, but the leaves crunching under your feet was the reason you left your car behind. You hummed to the music in your headphones as you walked to the beat. 

It almost worked too. 

That was until you stopped dead in your tracks. A fucking black SUV parked on the side of the road, not too far from where you saw it last night. You had to be paranoid, right? You shook your head and kept walking. You chewed on the inside of your cheek. The internal debate in your mind screamed over the music. Was the windshield tinted? You were unsure, but there was no way in hell you were turning around to get a better look at it. If it  _ was _ the same one as last night, they didn’t need to put a face to the act… 

One foot in front of the other, to the beat with the music again. You nibbled on your cheek more as the car was out of sight, and out of mind. You knew your mind was playing tricks on you. It was the only thing you thought about since last night, so your mind is being hyper-aware of these things… right?

Your chest rose up and down as you took a deep breath, trying to calm your nerves. There was no way in hell it was the same one as last night. If only you paid attention to the damn windshield… 

You managed to stop thinking about that damn SUV as you walked into the grocery store. Music still playing in your ears as you grabbed a handbasket. 

  
  
  


“Thank you.” You shoved your receipt in the paper bag full of groceries as you walked out of the store. The chill breeze hit against your face, causing you to squint your eyes a bit. When your eyes adjusted to the light outside, you set your course back to your house. You were running your to-do list in your head as you walked. 

  1. Unload the groceries
  2. Chill Jen’s wine and Flip’s beer
  3. Clean 
  4. Try to take a nap
  5. Black SUV  
  




You shook your head trying to think straight. You had to make sure you weren’t seeing things. You squinted your eyes again, making sure there was, in fact, a black SUV. Sadly, you weren’t hallucinating. Your teeth sunk into your lip as your mind raced. Your feet started moving again as your gaze was set on the car parked on the opposite side of the road. You couldn’t decide if it was the same one on your street from earlier… but there was one thing you knew for sure. This one was definitely the same one as last night. 

You tried your hardest to avoid your gaze from that general vicinity, so your eyes settled on your feet. Walking on beat, making sure you didn’t trip. Trying your hardest to get home as fast as you could. You fought every instinct to call Flip, and just have his voice settle your nerves, but no. He was at work, and you weren’t going to bother him with something stupid like this. So you picked your speed up a bit. You were  _ so  _ close to being home when you did something stupid. You turned your head back to take another look at the SUV. It wasn’t parked there anymore… Instead it was slowly driving down the road following you. You stopped in your tracks again, trying to make eye contact with the driver. You felt not only violated, but your blood was boiling now. 

You tried to make note of the SUV as it slowly drove past you. You couldn’t see anything through the tinted windows, so it wasn’t really telling you much. The lack of a license plate did scare you though. Must have been a professional creep. When your head followed the car driving past you, you noticed it picked up speed, turning and going out of sight. 

“Fucker.” You mumbled under your breath. A deep exhale through your nose and you started walking towards your house again. 

You practically slammed your door shut when you got home. The choice of getting  _ multiple  _ bottles of wine for dinner was a good decision. You sighed as you popped the cork on one. There was no way in hell you were going to get any sleep…

  
  
  


A few hours went by quickly as you cleaned, cooked, and sipped on your wine. You were preheating the oven when you heard your front door open and close. What got your attention was Flip practically throwing his holsters down on the kitchen table. You jumped up a bit as you looked over to him. 

“Tough day?” You questioned. You leaned back against the counter, finding yourself in the same position you were in this morning before he went to work. 

“Shitty, actually.” Flip was digging in his jeans pocket. You watched as he pulled out his pack of cigarettes, lighting one and placing it in his mouth. His chest moved up and down, taking a much needed drag. 

“What happened?” You walked over to him, standing on your tippy-toes, planting a soft kiss on his cheek. The many emotions you went through today melted away as you felt his arm wrap around your shoulders, pulling you as close to him as he could. You could feel this body relax a bit as he kissed the top of your head. His sighed filled your ears. 

“The guy who shot Ron… He’s giving nothing away.” He took another puff of his cigarette. You shifted your head to look up at him. There was a wrinkle in between his eyebrows indicating he was still stressed. 

“What’s there to know?” You got out from under his arm to walk over to the fridge. When you opened it, you grabbed one of the beers you bought for him. You heard the soft fizz as you twisted off the bottle cap. 

“I guess nothing…” He trailed off as he grabbed the beer from your hands. “Thank you, baby.” He took a sip before looking over to an empty bottle of wine on the counter, sitting happily next to your glass. You bit your lip, wondering what he was going to say. It was the only thing that took your mind off of the creep in the SUV. 

“Don’t worry, I saved enough for Jen.” You crossed your arms over your chest. Your grocery list in your mind had  _ multiple  _ bottles… 

“You didn’t sleep, did you?” You watched as he lifted the beer to his mouth, barely covering a smirk. 

“Nope,” you smirked back while shaking your head. The loud beep from the oven stole your attention as you walked over, bending over to put the diced potatoes in. Before you could stand up straight you felt his hands on either side of your hips. 

“I missed you.” His voice was soft as you shut the door, and turned around to face him. You placed your hand over his sternum, rubbing up and down. His words caused that familiar feeling to start back up in your chest. You would never get used to him talking to you like this.

“I missed you too.” You bit your lip, meeting his gaze once again. “I’m sorry you had a shitty day.” Your voice was low as he wrapped his arms around your waist, pulling you closer against his chest. 

“I’m with you now, it doesn’t matter.” His breath hot against your lips as he leaned his forehead against yours. You looked down as an instinct, noticing his feet were on either side of yours. You could feel yourself shrinking under his glare. 

You took a shaky breath in as he gently placed his lips onto yours, kissing you softly. The hand on his chest snaked to around his neck, gently tangling your fingers through his hair. One of his arms loosened around your waist while the shuffling of his cowboy boots filled your ears. He was blindly leading you against the kitchen counter. You felt the sharp corner digging into your back as he pressed his hips into yours. He wasn’t shy in showing you the effect you had on him as you felt his growing length in his jeans. 

“When are they getting here?” His lips lost contact with yours as he was catching his breath. His hands were already working on your jeans, unbuttoning and unzipping. You quickly looked over to the clock hanging on your wall. 

“30 minutes.” You whimpered as Flip’s hand snaked through your jeans. He struggled, but he managed to find your clit perfectly. 

“Hm.” He leaned his head, leaving soft kisses along your temple. “Here I was, wanting to take my time with you…” He trailed off and he bucked his hips, trying to find friction for himself. You bit your lip trying to suppress your moans, but the more his fingers swirled, the more you were failing. 

“F-Flip…” You stuttered. His fingers rubbed a little faster before his hand was ripped out from your jeans. 

“Turn around, baby.” He whispered in your ear. His thumbs hooked at the hem of your jeans, pulling them down along with your panties. “We don’t have much time.” He kissed your cheek gently, bunching your jeans together at your midthigh. 

It took you a second to get in the right headspace to follow his direction. You slowly turned, facing the counter now. You could feel your juices already dripping down your thigh. You swallowed the knot in your throat coming to a realization. This could only happen with one man, and you didn’t want anyone else except him.

You didn’t have to wait for his next direction for you to bend over the counter, patiently waiting for him. You heard some rustling off to the side, but by the time you looked over, you only saw Flip’s hand moving away from the utensil holder you had on the counter. 

You felt an unfamiliar object caress your bottom as Flip’s hand lowered your back to move over the counter. The sudden stinging of your bottom caused your head to drop as the object was used to slap your cheek. You couldn’t help but let a soft moan out. Your mouth was hanging open as it snapped against your skin again. You gathered enough energy to turn around, finding the source of this pleasurable pain. You could feel his smirk shining down at you as your eyes met the source. 

A wooden spoon. 

“I want you to look back at me.” He grunted as he shoved himself through your tight, wet folds. Every so often he would thrust himself a little deeper, letting you adjust around him. Your legs wobbled as a loud moan slipped your lips. When you finally had all of him, you bit your lip as you watched a loose piece of his hair bounce over his forehead with each thrust. His rhythm was slow as first, making sure your slick covered every inch of him. More loud moans came from your mouth, which caused his hips to pick up the pace. His free hand was placed on the dip of your waist, gripping tightly. 

You went against his orders as you shut your eyes. You bit your lip, shutting yourself up as you focused on the noises around you. The grunts ripping from his throat as his skin slapped against yours. His unsteady breaths as his hand loosened around your hip and snaked down to your clit. 

Your body jolted as his middle finger circled around your nerves at the same time the wooden spoon slammed down on your skin. 

“I want you to see how much I enjoy this.” He hissed through his teeth. More pieces of hair fell over his forehead as he snapped his hips, causing the head of his dick to hit your cervix. 

“Flip… Baby…” You loosened your grip on the counter and wrapped your hand around his wrist. You felt the subtle movements of his hand as he circled away at your clit, causing the pressure to build. You held his wrist firmly, holding him there and making sure he didn’t leave. You were fighting the urge to roll your eyes back when he slammed the spoon again on your skin, once again. 

Your kitchen was being filled by your name leaving his mouth over and over again. Repeating it, almost reminding you that he was real. 

You found yourself needing to do that often. You had to remind yourself that this perfect human being was yours. Only one man could make you feel like this. Could make you scream his name. 

Flip Zimmerman. 

And at that moment you knew for sure… you were hopelessly in love with him, and there was nothing you could do about it. 

“ _ Fuck! _ ” Your head fell once again as he hit your bundle of nerves just right. Your hand around his wrist tightened as you felt almost every muscle in your body tense up. 

“Flip!” you screamed his name. You loosened the grip around his wrist and grabbed the counter in front of you as you felt his hips start to stutter. You squeezed your eyes tighter as you heard him moaning your name, over and over again. 

When his hips slowly came to a stop, he leaned over your hunched body. Your back hit his chest with each deep breath you took. You stood up straighter when his weight was off of your back. You bent down slowly, lifting your panties and jeans back up when he guided you to face him once again. 

You buttoned your jeans when you took a deep breath, looking up at him. You were still trying to get yourself together. He looked perfectly normal, and you could just picture yourself looking like a hot mess. The bottle of wine on an empty stomach probably wasn’t helping. 

He was slightly bent at the knees as his hands were caressing your bottom, paying special attention to the cheek he was hitting so hard. He tilted his head, leaving soft kisses from your temple, down to your cheek. 

The feeling you finally put your finger on was screaming at you. It wanted to burst out of you, almost scream it and finally let him know.

“Flip…” You trailed off. 

“Hm… What is it, baby?” he was now leaving soft kisses up and down your neck. 

Here goes nothing… “I-” 

You almost jumped out of your skin when you heard knocking at your front door. You let a shaky breath out, trying to get yourself together. 

“I uh- I’m gonna get the door.” You ran your fingers through your hair, slicking down the hair making sure you looked presentable. You swallowed the lump in your throat as you got out of his grip. “Will you check on the potatoes?” 

You cleared your throat as you walked over to the front door. 

“Shit, you look tired!” That was the first thing Jen said when you opened the door. You two laughed in unison as you collided in a hug. 

“Thank you so much.” When you got out of each other's grip, you looked over to Ron.

“Hey, Ron.” You flashed him a smile. You watched as he showed you his white teeth, smiling back at you. 

“Is Flip still at work?” He questioned. 

“In the kitchen.” You opened the door a little wider, stepping to the side. You watched as he dragged his drainage system with him, walking past the threshold. 

“Boys will be boys.” Jen playfully rolled her eyes. “I’m going to need alcohol to get through this…” You laughed as she walked past the threshold, following Ron. 

You held your breath as you looked out. No SUV… You released the breath you were holding in as you shut the door behind you, locking it.

  
  
  
  


“You had your follow up appointment? What did they say?” Your question was directed to Ron as you started gathering everyone’s empty plate. Flip stood from his chair, walking over to you. Jen, of course, wouldn’t let you take hers. She handed hers to Flip. 

Guess she was still iffy with him...

You could practically hear his teeth grinding from here. He grabbed the plate from Jen, tapping you on your arm with his other hand. You looked over to him as he was already taking the plates away from you. His footsteps traveled to the kitchen sink.

“I’m going to go back in a couple of days to see if I can get this chest tube taken out.” He sipped on his glass of water. He was still under strict rules… at least around you. 

“That’s great!” You sat back down in your chair. “How’s the pain?” you questioned. Your head was turned toward Ron, but you were focused on Flip in the corner of your eye. He was putting the dishes in the dishwasher.

“Getting better.” He nodded his head, directing your gaze back to him. 

“He’s already asking to go back to work, can you believe that?” Jen smiled, sipping on her glass of wine. “Already sick of me, huh?” She laughed as she set her glass down. You laughed with Ron as you looked over to Flip once again. He was walking over, drying his hands with a towel. 

“Isn’t it too soon for you to come back?” Flip’s voice had a concerned tone as he sat next to you, resting his arm around your shoulders. He adjusted in his chair, trying to get comfortable. 

“Not if I do desk work.” Ron looked over to Flip. He was trying to sound reassuring. You looked over to Flip who was nibbling on his bottom lip. You tilted your head, getting a better look at him. 

Something seemed off. 

“How do you feel about it, Jen?” You looked over to her, trying to change the subject before your mind derailed. 

“I’m fine, as long as he sits his ass down in his chair until he fully recovers.” You watched as Jen looked over to Ron, smiling again.

“I don’t want him spreading himself too thin.” Jen turned her head towards you, fidgeting with the stem of the wine glass. 

“Well, Flip will watch over him.” You felt his arm pull you closer at his mention. Jen’s hand continued to fidget. Your statement didn’t seem to put her at ease. 

You took a quick breath in, looking over to Flip. He was looking down at his lap, almost trying to disappear.

“Of course.” He mumbled, picking his head back up. 

“And the dream team will be back together!” Ron leaned over the table, holding his hand out. Flip chuckled as he leaned forward, bringing you with him. You watched as his other hand slid across Ron’s. You looked over to Jen, almost rolling your eyes in synch as you guys laughed. 

“Guess that makes us chum.” Jen laughed along with you. It was a few moments before it went quiet, Jen clearing her throat.

  
  
  
  


“Get home safe.” You waved towards Ron and Jen walking back to their car. Ron had his drainage system in one hand and balancing Jen in the other. Jen decided to catch up with you, drinking an entire bottle of wine, along with the one you shared together. 

Of course, she was cold to Flip the rest of the night. She was better, considering how she was acting towards him at the Halloween party, but still. You could see that it was still bothering him. You did a quick glance around on your street, before shutting your front door. 

Flip was leaning against the wall, watching you. He lifted a lit cigarette to his mouth. You watched as he exhaled the smoke through his nose. The bags under his eyes were starting to form after the day he had. He reached his arm out, waiting for you. You giggled as you wrapped your arms around him, leaning your head against his chest. You shut your eyes when the soft  _ thumps _ filled your ears again.

“Let’s go.” His muffled voice through his chest filled your ears. He gripped his arm around you a little tighter as he led you to your bedroom. 

The mess in the kitchen would have to wait. It wasn’t nearly as important to you as this. Intertwining your limbs with his in bed as you two kissed was the only thing you wanted to focus on. 

You bit your lip as you met his gaze. He was hovering over you, balancing himself with one hand, as his other was running up and down your side. He leaned his head down, leaving sloppy, wet kisses up and down your neck. He pressed his hips into yours causing a soft moan to leave your mouth. 

“I can finally take my time with you…” He was moving his body down as he was now kissing around your collarbones. You closed your eyes, trying to focus on his kisses. The way his hot breath caused goosebumps to form on your skin. 

His kisses traveled down to your stomach, as he crawled down your body. You wanted to groan in frustration. Not only was he taking forever, but his phone ringing on the bedside table interrupted him. 

“What the fuck.” He mumbled under his breath. You watched as he picked his head up and rolled his eyes. He leaned over, grabbing his phone. He took a sharp breath in, looking over to you. 

“It’s the station.” He tried to explain. You reached your hair up to his hair, telling you it was okay for him to pick it up. 

You watched as he looked off into the distance as he answered.

“What is it… God dammit… Are you sure?... Mitchell, right? Shit... Okay. Thanks.” Flip pressed the screen on his phone before throwing it back on the table. He dipped his head onto your chest, groaning. 

“What’s the matter?” you ran your fingers through the ends of his hair. Your face twisted in confusion as he muttered some words against your chest. You couldn’t make it out. 

“Huh?” you questioned. More mumbles, but you managed to hear him shout ‘ _ Fuck!’ _ against your skin. You placed your hands on either side of his face, picking his head up. 

“Fuck!” He shouted again, this time clear as day. 

“What’s wrong?” You were starting to get a little scared. Flip shook his head a little, trying to calm himself down. You found his thumb caressing your cheek as he nibbled on his bottom lip. 

“Mitchell…” He shook his head, correcting himself. “The cop who shot Ron…” He trailed off, avoiding eye contact with you. 

“What about him?” you were still confused. Why was this guy so important? He kept ruining Flip’s day. You watched as he took a deep breath, still avoiding eye contact with you. He was focused on his thumb rubbing back and forth on your cheek. 

“His wife found him… He hung himself.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey guys! Remember to follow my on twitter (spookydal_) and that I have an email (spookydal @ gmail )
> 
> also! don't forget to follow breakthechain_fanfic on tiktok! My good friend Kass is literally bringing BTC to life and doing it justice!


	21. Daniel Mitchell

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> guess what? surprise chapter. This is a VERY different chapter than what I have written before. Different perspective to really see who we are dealing with ;) 
> 
> !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! TRIGGER WARNINGS: talks about cancer, descriptions of homicides, mutilation of a corpse, and death. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
> 
> Let me guys know what you think, and enjoy!  
> -dal

Daniel Mitchell. 

  
  


His mornings were always busy. He had to wake up, help Janet with the kids’ lunches, get them ready for school, and fight the rush hour traffic on his way to work. 

“What are they having today, hun?” Mitchell walked around the kitchen island to stand next to Janet. He watched as she tossed the loaf of bread on the island in front of him. 

“You’re on sandwich duty.” Janet turned around and opened the fridge, gathering everything she needed. 

“Joey and Annie want PB&J’s.” She set each ingredient as she explained. Mitchell watched as Janet ran a hand through her hair, taking a deep breath. He was already working on his morning task. He turned his head and watched as Janet was visibly stressed. 

“I don’t know what to do for Daisy anymore… It seems like she can’t keep anything down anymore…” a whisper out of her mouth. 

“The doctor said that’s common, especially after the first couple of treatments…” Mitchell whispered back. 

That fucking doctor. Brandon Perry. Supposedly the best in the business. Isn’t that fucked up? Business of child cancer… Dr. Perry was recommended after trials and trials of bullshit medication. Putting their little girl through hell. 

They started a new type of chemotherapy two weeks ago. 

Daisy was deteriorating in front of their eyes. She was pale, her hair was falling out, and could barely eat a cracker without throwing it up. Dr. Perry instructed Mitchell and Janet that it was best she didn’t play with other kids, given her shit immune system after the treatments. Wasn’t it supposed to help her get better? 

They’ve been homeschooling ever since.

“If she loses any more weight, they’ll have to start her on a IV just so she gets her vitamins.” Janet’s voice was starting to shake. Mitchell put his peanut butter coated butterknife down. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her against his chest. 

“Shh..” He whispered to her. “It’ll be okay…” He was lying to the both of them now. He had no clue if things were going to turn around. Shit, he didn’t even know if he could make this month's mortgage. Their fucking insurance only covered half of the treatments, and the debt was starting to pile up. He tried not to bother Janet with it. She already had a lot to deal with. 

“I know… I know… It's just hard to see her going through this shit.” She lifted her head, wiping a few tears from her cheeks. 

“It’s just not fair. She’s only six…” Janet nibbled at her bottom lip. Mitchell knew what she was thinking. If she could take the pain away and experience it herself, she would. No fucking six-year-old should have to deal with this shit. 

“I know, hun. We’re going to get through it.” He was lying to himself again. He had no fucking clue if he was going to even make it through the day. 

Janet took a deep breath, shaking the thoughts out of her mind. She got out of his hold, taking over the sandwich duty. 

“You need to get ready, or you’ll be late.” 

Mitchell nodded his head. He didn’t move though. He couldn’t understand how she made a perfect sandwich every fucking time. Like it was fucking witchcraft. He blinked out of his gaze and walked towards the stairs. 

He hummed to himself as the noise of running came from upstairs. Damn, kids. Better be dressed already… 

“Joey! Annie! You two better be ready for school!” Mitchell shouted. He was on the outside of their door when it got super quiet. A second went by before he heard rustling. He couldn’t help but laugh to himself. They got the point. He made a sharp turn towards the right to walk into his own bedroom now. 

  
  


Mitchell wasn’t one to constantly look in the mirror. He didn’t care how he looked. He would do a quick flash of his teeth after he ate, or looking at his beard at different angles when he was shaving. That was about it. 

It was different in his uniform. He wore that proudly. He earned it, fought for it. Every day he put it on he took a moment to look at himself. 

Pops would be proud. He whispered to himself every morning. Just like his Ma would tell him every morning on the phone during the academy. 

_ “He’s smiling down at you.”  _ His Ma would say. He went silent every time she told him. He knew if he replied, he would just join her in crying. She did every time. 

_ “Just be careful… Don’t end up like your father. I can’t take it if I lost you too.”  _ Just like clockwork. She would say it every fucking time, right before he hung up. He rolled his eyes, of course. It wasn’t like his father meant to be killed. He was accidentally shot by his partner while they were chasing some armed drug addict. He died two weeks before he was accepted into the academy. The fact his pops would never know he became a cop like him broke his heart. 

He took another deep breath before walking down the stairs. Joey and Annie were already waiting at the bus stop with Janet. Daisy was sitting on the couch watching TV. He took a quick breath before sitting next to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. He smiled to himself as she leaned against his side. 

“Hi, Daddy.” her voice was getting weaker. He bit his lip, trying to get his shit together. He had to stay strong, for the both of them. He couldn’t cry in front of her. 

“Hey, baby.” He picked her up, setting her in his lap. It was fucked up thinking he didn’t have a lot of time with her… but he needed to take advantage of these moments. 

“What are you watching?” He looked down at her, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear. 

“Peppa.” He watched as she leaned back against his chest. He could tell she wasn’t really paying attention to their conversation, which was funny to him. Some stupid fucking pigs on TV was her entire world at this moment. 

“Are you excited for your day with Mommy?” He caressed her hair, leaning his head down, smelling her hair. Bubble gum shampoo. 

“I heard you’re going to be painting!” He tried to sound excited, but even he couldn’t fake it. 

“I guess…” She was still distracted. 

He wanted to talk to her more. See what was going on in that little head of hers, but the front door opening stopped him. He turned his head to see Janet walking in. 

“Alright, Joey and Annie are on their way to school…” She walked over and sat on the couch next to them. “Daisy, baby, are you hungry?” Janet’s tone was low, almost like talking in a normal voice would scare her. 

Mitchell felt cold as Daisy got off his lap. He watched as she crawled over to Janet’s lap now. Mitchell bit down on his bottom lip, trying to hide his heartbreak. Janet wrapped her arms around Daisy, almost trapping her. She dipped her nose into Daisy’s hair, inhaling that same scent of bubblegum. 

“You two girls have fun today.” Mitchell gathered enough energy to peel himself off the couch. He took one last look before giving them both a kiss and walking out the door. 

Mitchell never listened to the radio on the way to work. It was the only time he had time to think. Think about how he was going to dig himself out of this hole. He needed a miracle… But he wasn’t an idiot. He knew it wasn’t going to be easy to get himself out of this situation. But what could he do? Ask for  _ another  _ loan from the bank? Win the lottery? Asking his in-laws? 

Fuck. That. 

He’d rather drown on his own than that. But there was nothing else he could do other than sit there and twiddle his thumbs while the stack of bills grew higher and higher. To just sit there while his daughter was slowly dying, fighting to stay alive. Bullshit. It was all just bullshit.

Usually, Mitchell did a good job of separating his work and home life…today was different. Seeing Daisy deteriorating in front of his eyes kept his mind preoccupied. While he clocked in, while he did his paperwork, and while he cruised around. He was so distracted that he just watched as people sped through red lights. He didn’t give a fuck, frankly. Why would he, when his six-year-old can’t be at her full potential? How could criminals be the scum of the earth, yet live to their 80’s? His six-year-old had the purest soul and they didn’t know if she would make it past the age of ten. What a fucking sick joke God was playing on him. 

  
  
  


He felt his feet dragging by the end of his shift. 13 hours of pure stress, not knowing how to provide for his family, and thinking of ways to save his daughter. 

“Hey, hon. The kids down?” Mitchell leaned back into his chair. The dimmed lights caused him to close his eyes. The air was quiet as he sat there. Most of the station was gone, except the night shift. 

_ “Yeah.”  _ Her voice cracked. He could tell it was a tough day. 

“How was she today?” He questioned, sinking into the chair a little. 

_ “Barely ate, and when she did she threw it up. Was in bed most of the day.”  _ A sharp inhale told Mitchell she was smoking a cigarette. 

She had a secret stash hidden away for whenever she needed it. She was really good at not making it a habit. Janet knew Mitchell didn’t like it. He hasn’t given her shit about it lately… not since Daisy’s diagnosis. 

_ “You headed home soon?” _

“No. I have to stay late. Gotta catch up on a lot of paperwork.” 

Okay, so he lied. So what? There was no harm in going to the bar and getting a couple of beers. He needed a break too. 

“I’ll see you soon. Love you.” 

_ “Love you, too.”  _

  
  
  
  


He lied again…but this time to just himself. He sat at the bar alone as a couple of beers turned into eight, accompanying a few shots of… well he didn’t really know at that point. He was just taking what he was given by the bartender. He looked around noticing the only other people in the bar were three guys sitting in a booth at the corner of the bar.

Mitchell was now chugging on a water bottle, trying to sober up before heading home. 

“Want another one?” the man behind the bar asked. 

“N-No… I’m good, thanks.” Mitchell hiccuped. “Where’s the bathroom?” He questioned. His head turned following the guy's finger. 

“T-Thanks.” He hiccuped again. It was a struggle, but he managed to walk towards the back of the bar. 

He was washing his hands when the stress came back to him. He thought back to his pops. His pops was the only one who Mitchell would accept help from. The only person he didn’t feel judgment from. He fucking missed his pops. 

Mitchell chewed the inside of his lip while the door into the bathroom opened. He was on the verge of a breakdown… He didn’t need a fucking stranger walking in on it. 

“Daniel Mitchell.” 

A deep voice came from behind him. Mitchell looked up, trying to get an idea of where this voice came from. When he couldn’t see the source from the mirror, he grabbed some paper towels, drying his hands as he turned around. 

“Who’s wanting to know?” Mitchell was starting to sober up when he saw three men standing in front of him. The same ones sitting in the booth. 

“Let me introduce myself…” The man in the middle stepped up. Mitchell couldn’t help but notice the guy’s chest. He was wearing a suit, but his shirt was unbuttoned at the top, exposing some of his chest. He blinked a few times making sure what he saw was real… a scar in the shape of an ‘X.’

“Abigor Kronos.” The guy gave a subtle smirk. The tone in his voice made it seem like Mitchell should know who he was. 

“These are my men, Sergei and Dmitri.” He pointed to the men on either side of him. 

“Uh… nice to meet y’all.” Mitchell took a step back, colliding with the sink. He didn’t know what these guys were up to, but he didn’t want to stay long enough to find out. When he inched towards the door Dmitri blocked his path, crossing his arms. 

“You know…” Abigor reached into his shirt pocket, grabbing what looked like a photograph. “It’s a shame how lively little Daisy used to be.” 

Mitchell could feel his heart stop at that moment. How the fuck did this guy even know Daisy’s name? That she even existed? He clenched his jaw, trying to calm down.  _ Lively _ … like he fucking knew the condition she was in. He took a sharp inhale through his nose, waiting for this Abigor guy to explain. For all he knew, it could have been another Daisy...

Abigor turned the photo around, showing Mitchell. It was a photo of himself, holding his Daisy up in his arms. They were at the zoo, smiling for the picture in front of the elephants. It was a few years ago before she was diagnosed. 

“How-” Mitchell’s voice cracked before it was cut off. 

“Janet isn’t very good at remembering to lock the back door.” Abigor chuckled, before putting the photo back into his jacket. 

“What the  _ fuck _ .” was the only thing that could come out of Mitchell’s mouth. He looked over to the other guy… What was his name? Sergei? He was looking down at his wrist… a gold watch. 

“There’s no time to waste… We need something from you, Mr. Mitchell.” Abigor stuffed his hands into his pants pockets. The way he shifted his arms caused the shirt to open a little more. That was definitely a scar he saw earlier.

“Now…” Abigor released his hold on his shoulders. “The station you work at… there’s a detective named Phillip Zimmerman.” 

Mitchel’s eyes followed Abigor. He was now pacing back and forth in the bathroom, fidgeting with something in his pants pocket. 

“Do you know this man?” Abigor stopped in his tracks, lifting something out of his pocket. Mitchell took a shaky breath as he noticed the item in his hand. A fucking switchblade. 

“I-I’m still new…” Mitchell tried to take another step back but the sink once again stopped him. 

“The uniformed officers don’t really mingle with the detectives…”

“Think hard.” Abigor was fast as he opened his switchblade, digging the tip of the blade into Mitchell’s chest. Mitchell felt Abigor’s other hand gripping his shoulder, holding him against the blade. 

“Shit! I’ve heard of Flip… Flip Zimmerman. I-Is that who you’re talking about?!” Mitchell looked down at the blade. His face twisted with pain as he felt a trickle of blood seep through his uniform. 

“Bingo,” Abigor smirked. 

Mitchell could tell he hesitated before pulling the knife away from his chest. He took a deep breath, feeling a sense of relief… for now. 

“What do you want with Flip?” Mitchell questioned in a low tone. He was scared that if he spoke too loud, the knife would end up back on his chest. 

“I’m so glad you asked…” Abigor smirked again as he played with the switchblade in his hand. 

“I want you to kill him,” Abigor said through a smile. 

Mitchell could feel his stomach churn. 

“What?” He shook his head. There was no way he was going to do that. He couldn’t even imagine doing something like that. 

“He’s getting in the way of my business…” Abigor started pacing again. 

“He never learns, that one.” Abigor chuckled to himself. 

“I threaten his girl, have these two follow her…” he pointed at the two henchmen standing still. 

“And even after his chief told him to stay away from her, he still doesn’t fucking listen!” Abigor threw his knife in the air, perfectly catching the handle as if he had done it a million times before. 

“He won’t leave her alone.” Abigor shook his head, chuckling to himself again. Mitchell watched as Abigor ran the tip of the knife over his own finger, ever so softly dragging the drop of blood over his index finger. 

“I’m gonna make him pay… He’s gonna die not knowing what I’ll do to that bitch of his.” 

“Begging me to spare her life…” He lightly dragged the tip over his finger again, only this time, in the shape of an ‘X.’

Mitchell cringed at the sound of his laughter echoing in the bathroom. He needed to get out, and fast. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. 

“I’m not going to  _ kill _ another officer… no way I’m doing that shit!” Mitchell’s voice was louder than he intended. 

“Now before you say no… Let me tell you what I will do for you.” Abigor held his hand out toward Dmitri. Mitchell looked over to see him grabbing a few envelopes from the inside of his jacket, handing them to Abigor. 

“Your debt is piling up, Mitchell. I assume Janet doesn't have a clue about it?” He was smirking over to him. 

“Chemotherapy… Very effective, but also very expensive.” Abigor handed the envelopes over to him. Mitchell reached his hand out, grabbing them. As he inspected them, he knew he was in trouble. These certain envelopes were sitting in his glove department in his car… 

“Did… Did you break into my car?” Mitchell ran a hand through his hair, trying to ease his nerves. 

“I think that is the least of your worries right now, Mr. Mitchell…” Abigor trailed off, looking over to Dmitri. Michell followed his gaze as he watched the man in front of the door, turn the lock. His eyes switched over to Abigor now putting the knife back into his pocket. 

“I’m trying to make a deal here, relax!” Abigor stepped closer to Mitchell, placing his hands over his shoulders, shaking him a bit. 

“D-Deal?” Mitchell stuttered. A wrinkle formed between his eyebrows. Why would this fucking guy wanna make a deal with him?

“Yes, a deal… You do what I ask… Little Daisy’s treatments are paid.” Abigor squeezed his shoulders. 

“In full,” Abigor smirked. 

_ Fuck _ . 

“I’m not going to be the reason another cop dies in the field…” Mitchell’s voice was low again. He squeezed his eyes shut, imagining his Pops. Knowing how much pain his family was in after hearing the news… he wouldn’t be that cop everyone talks about… 

“Thoughts of your father are stopping you from taking this amazing deal.”

Mitchell’s eyes shot open towards Abigor, who was now leaning against the wall. Of fucking course he knew about his Pops. 

_ “He must have researched all the cops…”  _ Mitchell thought. The only one that needed their debt paid to keep someone alive. The only one with the most ironic background to kill this guy named Flip. 

“An amazing deal,” Mitchell repeated. His hands turned into fists, nails digging into his palms. 

“Take a life, to spare another,” Abigor smirked. 

“Doesn’t little Daisy mean the world to you? Don’t you want to see her live as long as possible?” Abigor shoved his hands into his pocket again. “All your debt and future treatments paid for… How can you give that up?” He was trying to convince Mitchell.

Do you wanna know what’s fucked up? Mitchell was actually starting to consider it now… How could he refuse his daughter to live her life to the fullest? His Pop’s would understand… doing anything he could for his kid? 

But he would be fired, arrested, and God knows what else. His dream job would be taken away from him in a blink of an eye. All the late nights of studying, all the coffees and energy drinks he had to stay up. Trying to honor his father's name… all down the shitter. 

But the debt would be paid off. Daisy would live longer… 

That was the only thing that mattered… So Mitchell nodded his head, agreeing to this  _ amazing deal. _

“Flip Zimmerman, right?” 

  
  
  
  
  


It was the waiting game now. After celebrating, Abigor instructed Mitchell to do his homework until he got his signal to make the hit. That was easier said than done. 

It was hard for a uniformed officer to start a conversation with detectives. The environment was different between the two. They were in different parts of the buildings and worked different shifts. 

Mitchell did everything he could. He came early, left late. He wandered around in the building, hoping to get even a glimpse of the guy… 

Every fucking time he got close to Zimmerman, Mitchell was called to do some bitch work. He was getting frustrated and fast. 

The rumor mill was the only thing that seemed to feed Mitchell any information. 

Just like Abigor said, Zimmerman was ordered by the chief to stop seeing that girl. His dumbass was still following her around everywhere. The whole station was talking about it. How different he was acting now. How  _ happy _ he was. Mitchell was shocked to find out how the chief wasn’t brought this information…

It was a week before Mitchell stayed at the station until night shift rolled around. It was darker, quieter. He took this as an opportunity. He sat at one of the desks in the corner, hidden behind some of the file cabinets.

He pulled up the criminal database on the computer. He knew he should be looking into Zimmerman… but he had a gut feeling he needed to look into who he was working for… 

_ “Abigor. Kronos.”  _ Mitchell whispered to himself as he typed slowly. He made sure to glance behind him, making sure no one saw his search.

Mitchell had to blink a few times, making sure what he saw was correct. 3,586 results all under Kronos. Mitchell leaned back into his chair… it was going to be a long night. He almost felt overwhelmed. What to read first… 

He settled on the first link. He slowly dragged the mouse and clicked on the first highlighted link. 

  
  


_ “Adrik Petroff AKA Abigor Kronos.  _

_ January 2005 _

_ New information has surfaced as a family member of Petroff. For their safety, the name has been redacted from the records. The informant claims that Petroff is a victim of child abuse from their Uncle Kronos. Years of untreated PTSD caused his uncle to have episodes of abuse towards Petroff. The informant also claims that the uncle would carve an ‘X’ into Petroff’s chest repeatedly and in the same spot during these episodes.  _

_ The informant has been granted Witness Protection, and complete immunity when the case goes to trial in exchange for this and possible future information.”  _

  
  


Mitchell took a deep breath as he clicked out of it. He took a moment before clicking the next link. 

  
  


_ “Adrik Petroff AKA Abigor Kronos _

_ March of 2005 _

_ Nicolaj Petroff, known as the informant against A. Petroff was found dead in his home. The case has been classified as a homicide. An autopsy revealed that the cause of death was determined as exsanguination related to the neck being cut ear to ear. It was also found that postmortem, the body was mutilated with the tongue being pulled through the wound in the neck. This technique is mostly seen in informants who are identified. Autopsy also revealed that an ‘X’, known as Petroff’s signature, was carved into Nicolaj’s chest.  _

_ No other evidence has been discovered.”  _

  
  


Mitchell closed out of the database and shut the computer down. He didn’t need to fucking know anything else. He took a couple of deep breaths trying to calm down. The shit he did to his own family… what the fuck was he gonna do if Mitchell didn’t deliver?? 

  
  
  
  
  


“Fucking hell,” Mitchell mumbled under his breath. He was rubbing his eyes as he leaned against his cop car. It was a few days later, and the lieutenant assigned a new partner to Mitchell. He liked his old one, but the fucker fell and hurt his hip. 

“What’s that?” caught him off guard.

“Uh, nothing. I’m ready when you are, sir.” Mitchell stood a little straighter, watching his new partner walk over to him with two coffees in his hand. He wasn’t too much younger than Mitchell, which was fucking embarrassing. Getting trained by someone younger than you, wasn’t something you wanted to bring attention to. 

“Please, call me Alexander. I can’t with the sir bullshit.” Mitchell watched as one of the coffee’s were offered to him, along with a smile. Mitchell grabbed the cup and got into the car with the new partner he was liking already. 

Mitchell sat in the passenger's seat, quietly studying his partner. He had this confidence that radiated off of him, and Mitchell couldn’t help but feel jealous. 

“Sad to hear about your old partner.” Alexander kept his eyes forward as he drove around town. 

There was a point in the day where they drove past all the hospitals, sparking the gears in Mitchell’s head. He stayed quiet, while he thought about his daughter and family. How much they needed him...

“You okay, man?” 

This caused Mitchell to snap back to reality. He cleared his throat, looking over to Alexander. 

“Y-Yeah… Just a lot on my mind.” Mitchell stuttered. He ran his fingers through his hair before bringing the cup of coffee to his mouth. 

“Do you want to talk about it?” Alexander questioned. This made Mitchell look over again. 

“I know it’s our first day together, but I’m a good listener.” Alexander smiled to himself while keeping his focus on the road. Mitchell didn’t know what it was, but he felt like he could trust his new partner. Maybe it was the young face, the neatly combed hair, or the free coffee he gave him.

“Okay…” 

So Mitchell told him everything… well almost everything. He told him about when Daisy got diagnosed and the strain it put on him and Janet. He told him how scared Daisy would be of the needles, but how the nurses always made her laugh. How it only took one chemo treatment to see the life draining out of Daisy. The nights he would find Janet crying. 

Of course, he left the part out of making a deal with a psycho criminal to pay his debt off, just so his little girl could get a second chance at life. 

After that conversation, Alexander and Mitchell became more than partners. They became friends. In the next two months, Alexander would come over to help with dinner, play with the kids, and even babysit them while Mitchell and Janet went to dinner. It was a while since they did that. Things were starting to turn around… but nothing good lasts forever. 

  
  
  


Mitchell received a call while they were out to dinner. 

“Make it quick. They’re about to bring the food out.” Janet leaned in to whisper to Mitchell. She was distracted by the band playing in the middle of the room to even look over to him. 

Mitchell fished the phone out of his pocket and held his breath. A blocked number. 

“Hello?” He whispered into the phone. 

_ “Are you celebrating anything special tonight, Mr. Mitchell?”  _ The voice on the other side matched the one in the bathroom a couple of months ago. Mitchell looked over to Janet to make sure she didn’t get any hints of the conversation. He cleared his throat before he answered. 

“Not particularly.” He whispered again. 

_ “Good. So I’m not interrupting…”  _ It was a moment before Kronos spoke again.  _ “Tomorrow. Don’t disappoint.”  _

Just like that, the phone call ended. Mitchell shoved his phone back into his pocket and grabbed the glass of wine sitting in front of his plate, downing the rest of what he had. He took a second to look at Janet. He nibbled on his bottom lip as he imagined his target. 

  
  
  


Flip fucking Zimmerman. 

Following that girl around, being blinded by love. Mitchell wanted to roll his eyes at his stupidity, but he understood it. What if the roles were reversed, and it was Janet he was ordered to stay away from? He couldn’t imagine his life without her. Flip was a dumbass… but at least he could understand why. 

Mitchell kept thinking about his Pops on the way to that abandoned building. He kept praying as he waited for Zimmerman to show up. The picture of Daisy he had in his front pocket, burned a little as he cocked his gun. His mind flashed to his family as he pointed the gun to his head. He was doing this for them. To save them. To save Daisy. 

And it all went to shit. He could have sworn he heard his heartbreak when he realized he shot the wrong asshole. 

It all happened so quickly. He was arrested by the man he should have shot and brought into custody. One thing was for sure though. Kronos couldn’t get to him at the station. Not with everyone questioning Mitchell about him. 

He stayed quiet of course. Didn’t even ask for a lawyer. Didn’t even pay attention when the Chief or a handful of the state’s attorneys were questioning him. Mitchell sat in that metal chair, shifting every couple of hours when his legs would go numb. Noticing how grimy the room was. The lights would flicker ever so often, shaking Mitchell back to the reality of his actions. The loud pop of his gun going off rang in his ears. No matter what he thought about, the ringing wouldn’t stop. He thought his little girl would stop it, but no, it only made it worse. 

He avoided all phone calls. He couldn’t face his family. Not now at least. He needed time to think of an explanation. To help them understand why he did what he did. 

  
  
  


When they were done questioning him for what it seemed like the tenth time, they moved Mitchell over to a holding cell to wait. Wait for bail, or to be transferred to jail. Or simply to die.

He paced back and forth trying to think of ways to get out of this. Ways to make it up to Kronos. Ways to keep himself  _ alive _ . He could live with what people would say about him or even losing his job. He just wanted to see his family again. 

It went like this for a couple of days. Same shit over and over again. He would wake up with a stiff back from sleeping on the floor, pace back and forth thinking about his life in Kronos’ hands. The Chief would come by at the same time every day questioning him. 

“Kronos is a bad man… We’re trying to help you.” The Chief would say that every day before he left. 

Mitchell always went back to his pacing before he lied back down on the dirty floor. He felt like a kid again. Scared of the dark and the monsters to come with it. He curled himself into a ball, trying to remember his family. A time where he wasn’t one of the monsters. Before Daisy’s diagnosis and all this bullshit. 

  
  
  


“Daniel?” an unfamiliar voice from behind his back caused Mitchell’s eyes to flutter open. He inhaled deeply through his nose as he rolled over onto his back. His face flinched from the pain as he turned his head over. 

The only thing that came out of Mitchell’s mouth was a groan as he managed to stand himself up. His hands reached to his shoulders, trying his best to rub the stiffness out. He didn’t take his eyes off the flannel walking around the room, stopping in front of the bars separating the two men. 

“I know you meant to kill me…” Mitchell watched as he fidgeted with the pack of cigarettes in his hand. It was a moment before he finally put one into his mouth, lighting it. 

Mitchell stayed quiet. He could see the fear dripping from the man standing in front of him as he exhaled the smoke through his nose. He guessed that the chief had no clue he was down here.

“Kronos put you up to it…we know that… I couldn’t give a fuck about that, to be honest.” Flip took another long drag from his cigarette as he looked back to the door. Mitchell followed his gaze, noting that the door was closed. This confirmed his suspicion. 

Zimmerman wasn’t supposed to be here. 

“I need to ask you something.” Flip’s voice was quieter. Mitchell blinked, waiting. 

“What does he know about her?” Flip’s voice cracked with his question. Mitchell nibbled on his bottom lip as he turned away from him. 

“Please,” Flip whispered. “I need to know if she’s safe.”

_ Fuck. That. _

There was no way Mitchell was going to break it to him. No matter what he would say, Kronos would get his hands on her, whether he liked it or not. 

The unsteady breath Flip took in, told Mitchell that he realised that too. They both stood there in silence. Two grown men, scared and not knowing what this psychopath would do to who they care about the most. 

“I need to protect her… Please.” Flip’s voice was shaky as a few soft words left his mouth. Mitchell shut his eyes tight as the footsteps led back towards the door filled his ears. 

“Good luck, Zimmerman.” 

  
  
  


That night Mitchell made bail, which terrified him. It was an anonymous bail, which made it worse. 

Being out in the open wasn’t the best thing to happen when he didn’t follow through to his mission. When he stepped up to his front door, he looked down at his watch. 10:15 pm. It was a weekend, so Mitchell figured he could catch the kids before they went to sleep. He took a deep breath before unlocking the front door. 

“Janet? Kids?” Mitchell locked the door behind him as he walked over towards the kitchen. The entire house was quiet, which gave him an uneasy feeling. The lights were off, which made him think they weren’t home. 

“Hello?” Mitchell called out anyways. He set his keys on the kitchen table as he pulled a chair out. He took a deep breath as he rested his head in his hands. Mitchell didn’t know how he was going to clean up this mess. It wasn’t going to be long until Kronos made contact again, so he needed to think. He could get out of this, right? 

Footsteps leading into the kitchen made Mitchell stand up from his chair. If the station didn’t take his gun, he would have it out by now. 

“W-Who’s there?” Mitchell’s voice was shaky as he tried to look into the darkness. 

“Janet and the kids are at the movies.” 

The familiar voice eased Mitchell’s nerves. 

“Fuck, Alexander… You scared me.” Mitchell sat back down into his chair as the lights turned on. 

“Let me pour you a drink.” 

A few clinks from some glass and there was a scotch sitting in front of Mitchell on the kitchen table. 

“Thanks, man.” Mitchell grabbed the scotch and downed everything. He squeezed his eyes, trying not to make a face at the kick of the drink. It was a moment of clarity. Now he realized why Janet smoked. It would temporarily relieve the stress, only if it was for a moment. He needed to remember that the next time he saw her smoke. 

“The simplest job… You couldn’t even do that.” Alexander poured more into his drink. 

“Huh?” Mitchell looked up at him. 

“You heard me.” Alexander slammed the bottle of scotch down on the table, startling Mitchell. Alexander walked over to the living room for a few moments, coming back with lots of rope around his arm. 

“I had faith in you… I stood up for you to Kronos, ya know? I said, ‘Listen, boss, he loves his family… he won’t disappoint you.’” Alexander shook his head as he unraveled the rope. 

“Just know this is your doing.” 

“What the fuck are you talking about, Alexander?!” Mitchell stood up from his chair, talking a few steps away from him. 

“You think you’re the only one who works for Kronos?” Alexander picked up the glass on the table, drinking the scotch himself. 

“I was going to make it up to him… I-I swear! I just need to explain it to him!” Mitchell held his hands out, hoping it would prove to him that he was telling the truth. 

“You shoot the wrong fucking detective? How fucking stupid are you?” Alexander poured himself another drink. 

“I’m s-sorry… Please…” Mitchell tried to hold the tears back, but they were already falling down his cheeks. 

“Zimmerman… He came by the other day… I didn’t tell him anything, I swear!” 

“Oh, we’re done with him…” Alexander smirked.

“We’re going after the girl...” he looked down as he tied the rope on one end. Mitchell watched his hands work as he took another step back. 

“But you won’t be alive to see it,” Alexander smirked once more before rushing over to Mitchell, wrapping the noose around his neck. 

“Please!” Mitchell managed to scream out. “Tell Janet…” 

Alexander tightened the rope, cutting his sentence off. 

  
  
  
  


In his last moments, Mitchell had thought about his family. He thought about how they would handle this. How Daisy’s treatments wouldn’t be paid for… how she would eventually die, not knowing that he tried to help her. Janet not knowing how to deal with the debt he left behind. Smoking to ease her nerves. Smoking to deal with the fact that he left all this shit up to her. 

He was sorry, and he could never tell her why. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> shout out time!!! 
> 
> Guys make sure you check out mina.arts on tik tok!! She has been drawing kylo, beautifully if i might add, BUT SHE JUST DREW OUR LUMBERJACK AND I'M STILL SWOONING AT IT!!! Let her know Dal sent you ;) She's going to be starting an etsy soon so give her a follow and watch out for that! 
> 
> secondly!!! I want to shout out my good friend's work on ao3 (soupremeleader) and on wattpad (swoonforbensolo) shes an amazing writer and the smut? immaculate... 
> 
> don't forget about my email (spookydal8@ gmail) and twitter (spookydal_)


	22. Do it for him

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It made me really happy that you guys enjoyed the last chapter! I know it was tough on the heart, so forgive me! 
> 
> enjoy daddy with a gun  
> -dal

Your leg bounced up and down as you watched the minutes go by on the clock. You were waiting for one more nurse to give a report too before you left for the day. You knew if you left in time, you might catch Flip before he left for work. It would be the first time you saw him since the night the station called.

It was a few days since he was told the news. You figured he would move on from it, and go back to his old case, but you were dead wrong. He left you alone that night to go investigate around the cop. You went along with it because frankly, you didn’t know how any police work was done. But you were starting to be suspicious about something when Flip didn’t leave the station over the course of the next three days. You texted and called, offering to bring him a warm meal as you have done before, but every time you did he would stop you. 

  
  


_ “No, we’re way too busy, baby.”  _

_ “No, you need to get some rest.” _

_ “No, I’ll come and see you soon… Promise.”  _

  
  


He never did come and see you. 

Your leg continued to bounce, trying to shake some of the anxiety off. You weren’t mad or upset with him. You knew there was always going to be times when you didn’t see him. 

Perks of dating a detective. 

You were just worried about him. Flip was predictable. The only things he would be taking in was coffee and cigarettes. He was going to pass out if he didn’t get any sustenance soon. 

It was another 30 minutes before you finished giving the report. You and Sharon were clocking out before she spoke your name, bringing you back to reality. 

“Wanna grab some breakfast?” Sharon was grabbing her car keys out of her bag before watching you swipe your badge. 

“No. I gotta head home.” 

You could still manage to see him if you sped a little. 

“You sure?” Sharon questioned as you two walked towards the parking garage. 

“Yeah… I think I’m gonna eat with Flip.” You nibbled at your lip, trying to stop the smile that was forming. 

“Hey… I would ditch me for that man too!” Sharon laughed, playfully nudging your arm. You laughed along with her, shaking your head. 

“See, now you get it! I’ll see you next week.” You waved goodbye to her as you unlocked your car. Once you sat down and turned the key in the ignition you looked over to your wrist, catching the time. You could still make it. 

  
  


The ride to your place was uneventful, as you blasted music to stay awake. When you turned onto your street was when you sat up a little straighter. Your eyes switched over to the parked cars on the side of the road, making sure they weren’t the SUV’s that caught your free show with Flip on Halloween. Ever since your walk to the grocery store, you haven’t seen them, but that didn’t mean you still can’t be on edge about it. Once you parked your car in the driveway, you felt your body relax a bit. No SUVs, no stress. You did have a sense of disappointment though. There was no sign of Flip’s truck on your way here. 

You took a quick breath as you gathered your things and stepped out of the car. You were too focused on separating your keys, that you didn’t even notice your front door cracked open as you stepped up. 

You stopped in your tracks as you tilted your head, trying to see through the crack in the door. You couldn’t see anything. The sun was still coming up, so the lighting didn’t really give you a lot to work with. You didn’t know what, but something told you to look down. Papers scattered around on the ground. 

Your anxiety told you something was obviously off. Your irrational fear told you that someone was still in the house.

You felt your heart quicken as you snapped out of it. You didn’t know what to do, so you settled on quietly walking back over to your car. You were trying to control your breathing as you dialed Flip’s number. 

Thankfully, he didn’t take long to answer. 

_ “Hey, baby. Just get off of work?”  _ You could hear him inhale sharply, telling you he was smoking a cigarette. 

“Were you just at my place?” You ignored his question. 

_ “What?” _ You could hear the confusion in his voice. 

“Where did you sleep last night?” 

_ “My place, why?”  _ You could hear soft noises of wind telling you he was still driving with his window down. 

“I just got home, and my front door is open.” You took a quick breath. 

“I think someone broke in...” You were trying to control the shakiness in your voice, but you were doing a horrible job at it. You didn’t hear his reply over the sound of tire screeching on the other line. 

_ “Did you go inside?”  _ Flip’s voice was harsher now as he repeated his question.

“N-No.” 

_ “I’m not far from you… Wait in your car until I get there.”  _ He ordered. 

Shit, he didn’t have to tell you twice. You were quick to press the button on your keyfob, unlocking your car. You quietly shut the door, settling in the passenger's seat. 

_ “Stay on the phone with me.”  _ His voice was still harsh. 

You sat quietly in your car, carefully studying your front door for a few minutes. You tried to find any sign of movement. Any sign of someone still being in your place. 

_ “Stay there.”  _

Flip’s voice came through your phone at the same moment his truck came to a sudden stop in your driveway. You heard him hang up the phone as you looked up to follow him. You watched as he threw his phone and he rushed out of his truck. You sat on the edge of your seat as you watched him pull one of the guns from his gun holsters under his arms. 

“Shit.” You mumbled under your breath. You leaned against the window as you watched Flip slowly approach your front door. You sank into your chair when Flip was out of your view. 

  
  


It was torture sitting in your car alone. What if someone was still in there? What if they hurt Flip? You were just sitting here doing nothing while Flip was risking his life for you. You tried to shake the thoughts out of your head as you looked around, trying to get any sign of Flip still in the house.

  
  


You couldn’t take it anymore. You slowly got out of the car, quietly shutting the door behind you. You were slowly walking up to your front door when the noise of a car passing stole your attention. You were on edge as you whipped your head, trying to catch the car in your gaze. You felt a sense of relief when you saw your neighbor’s car pulling out of their garage. 

“I thought I told you to stay in the car.” Flip’s harsh voice surprisingly relaxed you as you saw he was unharmed. 

“I’m sorry…” you trailed off. “I was getting anxious.” You looked down at your shoes, not wanting to make eye contact with him. 

“Hey… It’s okay.” You could hear Flip putting the safety on before putting his gun back into the holster. You took a deep breath as his arms wrapped around you, pulling you against his chest. 

“Did you find anything?” You were quiet as you shut your eyes, letting his rapid heartbeat fill your ears. 

“I don’t think they took anything, but you’ll have to double-check.” Flip’s voice echoed through his chest. You nodded your head agreeing with him, but you stood still. Embracing his long arms wrapped around you. You hated that this was the circumstance that let you two come together. 

“It’s okay, baby… I’m here.” Flip’s heartbeat was slowing down as he moved your hair away from your face, leaving a soft kiss on your forehead. 

You took a sharp breath in, quickly getting your shit together. You lifted your head to look at him, nodding subtly. 

“Let’s go.” 

Flip nodded back to you, grabbing your hand to lead you to your place. You shook your head as you walked past the threshold, finally coming inside. 

“Shit!” 

It was the only thing you could say when your eyes focused on your place. The entire place was trashed. Everything was knocked over, papers everywhere. All your furniture was practically thrown upside down and gutted.

You sighed placing your work bag on what was once your couch. It was just shreds of material at this point. 

“Check if they took anything.” Flip shut the front door behind him. You wanted to laugh when he locked the door. What was the point of that now? 

  
  
  


You spent twenty minutes walking around your house mentally checking things off as you found them, making sure everything was accounted for. 

“They didn’t take anything.” You put your hands over your full hips, trying to understand. 

“Why would someone do such a thing?” you questioned as you walked back over to the living room. You found Flip putting the pieces of your furniture together. You couldn’t hold back the smile after looking around, seeing that most of the trash was picked up in the living room and kitchen. 

“Baby…” You made your way over to Flip, wrapping your arms around him. “You don’t have to do that.” His arms wrapped around you, pulling you closer to him. You could practically feel his heart pounding against his chest. You could tell he needed something to do to calm himself down. 

“How bad is your bedroom?” Flip questioned as he lifted his hand to your face, softly stroking your cheek. 

“Just a bunch of clothes on the floor… Although I think that’s how it was before.” 

Your favorite strand of his hair hovered over his forehead as he laughed down at you. His hand grabbed the side of your neck, placing his forehead against yours. You couldn’t help but smile up at him, the man you loved so fucking much. 

The soft wrinkles around his eyes stood out to you, showing you how much he’s tired himself over the last few days. This caused you to feel bad. You basically stole him away from work, when he was obviously working on something important. 

“Do you need to head back?” You asked as your smile faded. Flip planted a soft peck on your lips before pulling away, going back to his task of cleaning up. 

“Fuck no, I’m not leaving. Take your ass upstairs and get some sleep.” Flip was preoccupied, not even looking over to you. 

“I’ll finish cleaning up.” 

You playfully rolled your eyes and you started walking over to your bedroom. 

“Yes,  _ dad. _ ” 

  
  
  
  


“Where are we going?” You were sitting in the passenger’s seat of Flip’s truck, looking out the window. You were trying to get any sort of clue of where he was taking you. 

When he woke you up from your nap, he told you to get dressed. At first, you thought he was taking you to lunch. That was crossed off the list when he made you a bowl of cereal. You then thought he was taking you to the station. Maybe he had work to get done but didn’t want to leave you alone. That was understandable, right? No. He drove past his station without giving it an extra thought. 

“I told them I wasn’t going in.” He had to tell you since you turned around, watching the building shrink as he drove away.

Once he turned onto a country road, you were out of options. 

“How many more times are you going to ask me that?” Flip chuckled as smoke creeped out of his nose. 

“Are you keeping count, Zimmerman?” You laughed, looking out the window again. 

You honestly couldn’t complain. The scenery was beautiful, distracting you from the horror of this morning. 

“I’ve lost count, actually.” His voice was altered, inhaling the nicotine. 

You leaned your head against the window, letting the cool glass chill your skin. The slight breeze from his open window sent shivers down your spine. The weather was getting colder, reminding you of the upcoming holidays. That’s when you looked over to Flip. You studied him as he focused on the road ahead of him. You wondered how he was during the holidays. Did he spend it with family? Was he a Scrooge, scolding at everyone with the holiday spirit? You smiled to yourself, imagining him decorating your house with you. 

“We’re here.” His deep voice yanked you from your thoughts. 

You looked out of the windshield, passing under some sort of archway with writing on it.

“Sid’s farm? You questioned as you read it out loud. Where in the world did he bring you? 

Flip’s truck shook a little as the pavement turned into a dirt road. The path started getting narrower, with trees close on either side. He followed the long and twisted road until he approached the end of the path, slowly stopping the truck. 

Your face twisted with confusion as Flip made his way out of the truck, walking around to open your door. He held his hand out, waiting for you to take it. 

“Flip… can you please tell me where we are?” You placed your hand in his, as he eased you out of the truck. When you were on your feet, you took a step forward, trying to get a better look around. His grip grew tighter on your hand, not wanting you to explore on your own. You looked back at him as he shut the car door. 

“Follow me.” He tugged you along as he started walking. He led you in between some trees, occasionally pushing some of the branches out of your way. 

You nibbled on your lip, starting to get anxious. You were focused on your feet, making sure you didn’t trip on any rocks. Flip came to a stop when he stepped up to a wooden table. Seemed like an odd placement. You looked around, noticing the trees cleared up. A wrinkle formed between your eyebrows, noticing that the trees were only cleared in such a small area. You twisted your face as you squinted your eyes. It looked like you saw what seemed like a poster hanging on a tree. You stared at it for a moment, finally putting everything together. 

It was a shooting range. 

You looked over to Flip, trying to get an explanation. 

“Okay… hear me out.” He took a few steps forward, wrapping his arms around your waist, almost trapping you so you wouldn’t run away. 

“I know you don’t like this stuff… but after what happened this morning,” he leaned his forehead against yours, taking a deep breath. 

“I need to know you can protect yourself.” 

You took a sharp inhale as you looked up at him. He stood there, trying to read your face as his eye twitched.

You were honestly ready to start arguing with him. To list all the reasons why he was wrong and why you weren’t going to do this. You even opened your mouth to start your debate. You eventually shut it after looking at him. Flip was usually good at being a hard exterior. He perfected his poker face… You didn’t know if he was being vulnerable, or you were starting to read him better. 

He almost seemed…  _ scared. _ Like it was life or death if you didn’t know how to defend yourself. 

“It kills me to say this… but I can’t always be with you…” He tightened his arms around you, pulling you in closer. 

“Imagine how much fun we would have, though.” You smirked up at him. This caused him to chuckle, shaking his head against your forehead. He leaned in a little more, placing his lips over yours. He hummed against your lips, as he deepened the kiss. 

How could you say no to him? 

You couldn’t help the sigh that came out of your mouth when he pulled away, practically swooning over the kiss.

“How did you even know about this place?” You questioned as his hand rubbed up and down your back. 

“A family friend owns the property. He’s letting me borrow it for the day while he’s out of town.” Flip took a step back, putting space between your bodies. His arms were still wrapped around you, pulling you in the direction he was going. 

“So we have this whole place to ourselves?” You couldn’t help but smile up at your lumberjack. He looked like he was in his element out here in the woods. 

“The entire thing, baby.” He was still dragging you, step by step. He smiled to himself, knowing you were willing to do this for him. 

“God, you’re lucky I like you.” You smiled over to him as you knew you were lying. You loved him… it just wasn’t time to tell him yet. 

“That I am, baby,” He smirked to himself. “That I am.” He unwrapped his arm, grabbing you by the hand once more. He turned around, walking ahead of you. You nibbled on your bottom lip as you looked around. 

_ Do it for him.  _

This was your new mantra. 

It wasn’t like you were against guns. You knew they were dangerous, but it just wasn’t your thing. Just weren’t interested, but again…  _ Do it for him. _

Flip finally came to a stop, letting you stand next to another wooden table. There were two guns sitting on the table with a box of ammunition next to it. You would assume they were pistols, but what did you know about guns? Jack shit. 

You had a nervous smile on your face as you looked down at the guns. This caused him to chuckle at your facial expression.

_ Do it for him.  _

“Alright… Show me.” You sighed, looking over to him. He had his arms crossed over his chest, leaning against a nearby tree when he started his lesson. 

“I, personally have two rules…” You watched as he clenched his jaw for a moment. 

“First. Always assume all guns are loaded.” He waited for you to give some sort of sign, letting him know you understood. 

“All guns are loaded,” You repeated. “Got it.” 

“Second. Keep your finger off the trigger unless you’re willing to pull it.” He started pacing back and forth as he continued with his lesson. You couldn’t help but bite your lip.

He was the hottest teacher you had. 

You shook your head, trying your best to pay attention. 

You whispered it back to yourself, nodding your head. That one made you a little nervous.

_ Do it for him. _

“Got it?” He uncrossed his arms, picking up one of the guns. You held your breath as you watched his movements. 

“Yes, sir.” You knew you had to be serious, but you couldn’t miss messing with him. He was doing a horrible job of hiding his smile as he walked over to you. He bent down slightly, kissing you on your cheek before going back to what he was doing. 

“See this button here?” He pointed out. You stood on your tippy-toes, trying to get a better look. When you followed his finger, you nodded your head. 

“Press this, and this will eject the magazine.” He demonstrated, letting the piece fall into his hand. 

“This is how you will load it. Grab the box of bullets please, baby.” He nodded his head over to the table. 

You cleared your throat as you grabbed the box. 

_ Do it for him. _

You opened the package, noticing how many there was in the box. You looked up at Flip, making sure what you were doing was okay. You knew it was stupid. You just opened a fucking box… you were just nervous. 

“I’m gonna let you do this part. Switch me.” He handed over the empty magazine, grabbing the box out of your hands. You hesitated to grab it, as you had that nervous smile on your face again. 

“It’s  _ okay _ , baby.” He reassured you. “Load it… bullet by bullet.” He nodded his head, encouraging you. 

_ Do it for him. _

You hesitated again, but sure enough, you were following his steps. You slid the bullets in, one by one until you couldn’t fit anymore. Your eyes shot over to him, desperate for his next direction. Flip shook his head, trying not to laugh at you. You knew you were being ridiculous, but come on, it was your first time with a gun! 

You held the magazine awkwardly as he set the box back down on the table. He handed out the other part of the gun, waiting for you to grab it. 

“Now you’re going to slide the magazine back in. Make sure you slide it in quickly.” He was once again encouraging you. 

You shook your head as you laughed. 

“No way. What if it goes off in my hands and I accidentally shoot you?!” Your eyes widened as you actually imagined it. Your face twisted with horror as he laughed at you again.

“Okay, that’s my bad.” He stepped closer to you. “See that little button?” He pointed with his free hand. 

“Yeah.” It was tiny, but you saw it. 

“That’s the safety… Which means it’s on. You won’t hurt me, baby.” He leaned over, kissing your cheek again.

“I won’t let you get hurt either.” He handed over the other piece once again. This caused you to sigh, nostrils flaring. You could feel your hand jerk as it hesitated to grab it. 

_ Do it for him.  _

You blinked a few times, trying to gather enough courage. It was a second before your other hand reached for it. You mentally repeated the last step in your mind as you slide the magazine back in. 

“Gimme.” He held his hand out. “Watch and see what I do.” 

You nodded your head, watching as he grabbed the gun out of your hand. He stepped forward, looking down at his feet. He made a squashing motion with his foot as he adjusted his stance. You heard a soft click as he turned the safety off, which made you hold your breath. His long arms held the gun out in front of him. You could hear as he exhaled slowly, almost as if he was trying to stabilize himself. You tilted your head trying to get a better look at his face. 

You couldn’t help but feel a little tingle as you watched him pout his lips, with that famous strand of hair falling out of place. God, you loved that fucking strand of hair. 

His eyebrows lowered, focusing on his target hanging on the tree. You watched as his hands cocked back the gun before aiming it again. You felt yourself jump out of your skin as he fired a few shots. Of course, hitting it right on the bullseye. You wanted to slap his pretty face as he held one of his arms out, showing off. 

“That’s how you do it.” He smirked to himself. 

“Oh my God, you can’t be serious.” You rolled your eyes playfully. 

“What?!” He acted surprised, but he still had that smirk on his face. You heard the soft click of him putting the safety on as he walked over to you, setting the gun back on the table. 

“You trying to win me over or something?” You laughed again as his arms wrapped around you once again, pulling you against him. You could hear him humming to himself, feeling the vibrations from his chest. 

“Are you trying to tell me I haven’t won you over yet?” He chuckled to himself, pressing you harder against his chest. 

“Even after those perfect shots?” You could feel his right hand starting to rub your back up and down. You held your breath as you felt his hand slowly dipping lower and lower towards your ass. 

“I’m starting to think you brought me out here to show off.” You reached your hand up, grabbing his hair at the nape of his neck. 

“Is that what you think?” His hand rested over your round bottom, comforting you with his touch. 

“Definitely that is what I think.” A giggle leaving your lips. You watched as the wrinkles formed around his eyes with a smile, leaning down to kiss you again. It was much more passionate than the one before. You could feel his heart pounding against his chest. 

It was the type of kiss that you could pop your leg out too. Could make you float around on a cloud of happiness. Even after what happened this morning. It was just you and Flip, and you didn’t want anything else. 

Flip pulled away from the kiss, still close to your face. 

“You’re doing a lot of talking for someone who hasn’t even shot yet.” He whispered against your lips. He was quick to release his hold on you, stepping away to lean against the tree again. 

Your mouth was wide open like you were offended. 

“Woah! Feeling competitive I see.” You licked your lips again as he nodded his head over to the gun he just used. 

“Let me see what I’m working with.” He adjusted his legs, widening his stance. 

You got nervous again as you looked down at the gun. Your eyes settled on the little button, telling you that the safety was still on. You were hesitant, fearing that the wind in the air tampered it in any way. You nibbled on the inside of your cheek as you reached your hand out. Flip’s rules were being repeated in your mind. 

Now you knew the gun was loaded already, so you settled on the second one. You were hyper-aware of where your finger was placed, making sure it wasn’t on the trigger, stepping up to where Flip was once shooting. 

You felt awkward standing there, obviously feeling out of place with this  _ thing _ in your hand. You took a deep breath, trying to remember the stance he took. The soft click filled your ears again, taking the safety off. You bit down on your cheek, tasting metallic as you drew blood. You gave yourself a pep talk in your mind, before aiming the gun at the poster hanging on the tree out in the distance. 

You didn’t know how to react when the gun jerked in your hands, pressing the trigger a couple of times. You obviously missed the target by a long shot, but you had this feeling, that you quite couldn’t make out. You huffed, lowering the gun towards the ground. Obnoxious chuckles from Flip filled your ears. 

“Here.” You could hear his footsteps against the ground as he made his way over to you. 

“Aim it again, but don’t shoot.” He ordered. He was in teacher mode again, which probably wasn’t good for you. You were going to have a hard time focusing… 

You gulped feeling his hands roam over different parts of your body, adjusting to his liking. His hand squeezed on your thigh, telling you to widen your stance. You licked your lips as you felt the warmth start between your legs. 

_ This was not the fucking time!  _ You thought to yourself. 

You could feel the warmth from his large hands as he placed them on your shoulders, pulling them back a little. 

“Straighter.” He ordered. His voice was determined, which didn’t help the situation downstairs… 

All those things clouded your mind, distracting you. His head leaning down to rest on top of your shoulder was the tipping point. You could feel his hot breath as he tilted his head, trying to see where your aim was. He turned his head whispering in your ear. Seductively, you might add. 

“Go down a bit.” You could feel your heart drop down to your ass as his breath hit your ear. 

The soft crunches of the leaves under his boots told you he went back to leaning against the tree. 

“Whenever you’re ready.” He ordered again. 

You stood there for a second, trying to clear your mind. The fucker was turning you on without even knowing. You figured having a preoccupied mind wasn’t the best idea when shooting a gun. So you were going to try your best. You slowly exhaled, placing your finger on the trigger. 

You felt the quick jerk of the gun in your hands again, noticing you hit the bullseye. You lowered the gun, widening your eyes as you looked back at Flip. 

“Impressive…” He smirked over to you. “Now do it again.” His voice was darker. Hungrier. 

You bit down on your lip, facing the target once again. You took your stance, making adjustments from his tips. 

_ Do it for him. _

You pressed on the trigger, hitting the target once again. You gasped, surprising yourself as you turned the safety back on. You looked back over to Flip, still leaning against the tree. The only difference was he was biting his lip. You felt your breath hitch as you walked over to him, setting the gun back on the table. You were a few feet away from him as he stared down at you. 

“Looks like you aren’t the only one with a perfect shot.” You smirked up at him, teasing. You wanted to show off and gloat as he did, but he gripped your shirt, pulling you towards him before you could. 

“Hm… I take back what I said then…” He adjusted his stance, getting off the tree he was leaning on. His hand was still gripping your shirt as he led your back against the tree now. 

“I think I deserve a reward, don’t you think?” You whispered your question, feeling small as he stepped closer to you. The grip on your shirt loosened as both of his hands was gripping your full hips. You could already feel your heart racing with the way he was looking at you. 

“Hm.” He hummed, agreeing with you as he leaned his head in. He placed his lips against yours, starting the kiss gently. When your hand reached into his hair, the kiss started to get desperate. You were already so heated up from when he was adjusting your body, that you let a moan slip into his mouth, causing your lips to buzz against his. 

Flip pulled away from the kiss, leaning his forehead against yours. He hummed to himself as he was catching his breath. 

“Do you have any idea how hot you are?” His hands were now working on your jeans, unbuttoning and unzipping. 

“Holding that fucking gun,” he yanked your jeans down along with your panties. He motioned his hand towards your shoes. You felt yourself dripping down your thigh as you kicked off your shoes. 

“Hitting that target so well for me.” He stepped on your jeans as you lifted your legs one by one to get out of them. 

You bit down on your lip, confident that you broke skin. Being out in the open like this was definitely turning you on more. 

“I felt like you purposely did bad on the first shot… wanting me to touch you all over.” His hands lit your skin on fire as he dragged your shirt over your head, throwing it on the ground. 

“I know your body, baby. I know how you react to my touch.” His hands slid towards your back, unhooking your bra painfully slow. You could already feel your nipples hardening, aching for his touch. 

He leaned his head back, trying to get the full view of your exposed body. You watched as he licked his lips, teasing you with how slow he was taking your bra off. Your body was on fire, desperately waiting for his touch. 

“I’m gonna give you that reward, baby…” His hands  _ finally _ made their way onto your chest. You watched as he clenched his jaw, rolling your nipples between his thumb and pointer fingers. A breathy moan slipped from your lips as you puffed your chest out farther, giving him full access. 

“Always so eager for me…” A smirk plastered over his face, as his hands now enveloped over your full breasts. The pressure from him rubbing your breasts caused your back to dig into the bark of the tree, scratching at your skin. 

“Baby…” You rolled your head, leaning it against the tree as you felt one of his hands travel down your side. You jumped at the sudden snap of his hand slapping against your bottom, causing you to squeal a little. 

“It’s just us baby,” his hand snaked its way between your legs, only focusing on your inner thighs. Swirling around in the evidence that you’ve been dripping wet for a while. 

“You can be as loud as you want.” His middle finger made it past your folds, circling around your clit at ease. Your hands shot up to his chest, gripping his flannel. You relaxed your shoulders, feeling some relief as you took his advice. His finger circled a little faster, causing you to moan a little louder than before. The fact that you were out in the open with no one to hear, felt invigorating. 

“That’s right, baby.” You moaned again as you circled your hips, gathering more friction on your clit.

A grunt ripped through his throat causing you to look up at him. He was no longer keeping eye contact with you as he was now watching you ride his hand. 

“Fuck, baby,” his finger found a new home, as it slipped into you, pumping in and out. “You look so good like this,” he grunted again. You noticed he slipped another finger in at ease, sliding along with your slick. 

Your hands loosened around his flannel, as you moaned loudly into the open air. Your hand moved up to his neck, tangling your fingers in his hair. Your mouth dropped open as you felt his fingers graze against your g-spot. You tightened your new grip, bringing his face closer to yours. His hot breath lingered on your skin as he licked your open mouth. Your tongue met his as you two collided in a messy kiss. You couldn’t help but notice how wet your mouth was getting as the kiss was getting sloppy. He was focused on his fingers as he pumped a little faster. 

Flip once again pulled away from the kiss, catching his breath. You felt his fingers yank out of your folds, holding them up to his mouth. You watched as his eyes rolled to the back of his head as he sucked at your bitterness slowly. A low grunt came from his throat as he licked a few more times before yanking them out. 

“You like it when I taste you, baby?” He watched down at you, nodding your head eagerly. 

“Get on your knees.” He ordered. You could feel your mouth salivating as you followed his orders. The grass and broken branches caused a sharp pain to spread across your knees. You licked your lips as you looked up at him. He placed a hand on the back of your head. He rubbed your hair gently as he looked down at you. You felt your clit aching for attention as your hands reached up to his jeans. You lifted his flannel, unbuttoning them. You could feel his hand reach to the side of your face, caressing your cheek with his thumb. 

You blinked up at him, almost feeling nervous as you unzipped his jeans, pulling them down with his briefs. You broke eye contact with him as you watched his length spring free in front of you. You licked your lips again as you watched pre-cum drip onto your knee. 

“Now it’s your turn to taste me.” He mumbled under his breath as his other hand wrapped around his length. The hand on your cheek moved to your jaw, squeezing your mouth open. You felt yourself melting even more just watching him. Your eyes followed his hand, leading his dripping cock to your mouth. You wrapped your lips around him, already drooling. 

He was quick to snap his hips making his tip hit the back of your throat, causing you to gag. You took a second to compose yourself but was quick to start bobbing your head up and down his length. The delicious salty taste of his pre-cum, dripping down your throat as you picked up the pace of your head. You hummed along his length, causing your lips to buzz around him. You could feel his length move farther back in your mouth as he leaned forward, grabbing the tree for support. 

“ _ Fuck _ , baby…” he trailed off as a moan left his mouth. This motivated you to swirl your tongue around his length, focusing on his head. Another moan left his mouth, causing you to feel satisfied. You could start to feel the sides of your cheeks aching as your mouth moved up and down again. Your hand crept to your folds, hoping he was going to allow you to touch yourself. 

When you moaned at your touch, he leaned in a little further, causing him to gag you again. You felt tears forming in the corner of your eyes as you circled around your clit, happy he was letting you pleasure the both of you at the same time. 

You felt proud of yourself as your ears filled with the noises coming out of his mouth. It was back and forth of moans and profanities, mixed with your name. You moaned around his cock as your fingers were rubbing your clit, hitting the perfect spot. You could feel your body jerking as you stopped moving your head, distracted. You could hear another moan leave his mouth as he slipped himself out of your mouth. His other hand went back to rubbing your hair as he watched you squirm below him. 

“ _ Fuck, _ ” He moaned again. “Get on the fucking table.” You could feel his hands grip tightly around your arms, standing you up. You pouted as your fingers were yanked away, interrupting your pleasure. 

You were upset that he stopped you, but you were quick to walk over to the table, moving the items over on the table. You sat on the edge of the table, watching as he stalked over to you. You bit your lip as you watched him unbutton his flannel. When he was done with his task, he threw it on the ground, along with his thermal. You could feel your heart racing as you looked over his bare chest. 

When he stepped up, he pushed your shoulder back, leaning you back to rest on your elbows. You moaned at the sight of him again. He pushed his jeans down more as he jerked himself off for a moment. He made eye contact with you causing him to grunt, growing desperate for you. You dropped your head back as he slowly pushed himself past your folds. When his entire length was covered in your slick, he rocked his hips slowly. He wanted to make sure you felt  _ every  _ single inch of him. His hand wrapped around the back of your knee, lifting your leg up. 

“Flip!” You shouted. His slow thrusts were tearing you apart. You didn’t know if you wanted him to pound into you, or keep his pace. 

“S-Shit.” He stuttered. You could feel the table rock along with his movements, as he picked your leg up higher. 

“Look at me.” You could feel his body lean down, shoving his tip against your cervix with each thrust. 

You didn’t listen to him as you were focused on the amount of pleasure he was bringing you. It wasn’t until he let go of your leg that you snapped out of it. His hand reached to the back of your head, gripping your hair tight to lift your head. Your eyes opened, staring into his eyes. You didn’t know why, but this caused your walls to clench around him. That feeling in your chest sparked again as he looked down at you. His eyebrows were low as grunts ripped through his throat, back to back. You couldn’t hold it any longer… 

“Fuck!” you moaned loudly along with his thrusts. “I love you!” You blurted out in a whimper, feeling a haze of pleasure. You squeezed your eyes shut with sudden embarrassment at your words too scared to see his reaction. You felt your heart drop as his hips came to a stop. 

“W-What?” 

You could tell by his quiet voice that he was shocked. You sighed to yourself, turning your head away from him. You were mentally kicking yourself. You felt like you put him in an awkward position, but you couldn’t keep it from him any longer. 

You felt the hand in your hair direct your head to face him again. You were hesitant as you slowly opened your eyes to look at him. 

Flip still looked shocked as he gripped your hair tighter. You two stared at one another in silence. It was a few moments before he shoved his lips onto yours, kissing you sloppily. 

He was quick to snap his hips, starting at a faster pace than before. You moaned against his lips, trying to keep up with him. You were breathing hard through your nose, trying to get as much oxygen as you could. He pulled away from the kiss, leaning his forehead against yours. 

“Say it again.” He moaned against your lips. 

You took a moment, trying to catch your breath. You took this time to study his face. He was looking down at you with a smile. You couldn’t help but squeeze your eyes shut as his hips snapped faster. 

“I love you, Flip.” you couldn’t help the loud moan that slipped from your mouth as he pressed his lips against yours, once again. He let go of your hair, keeping his forehead on yours. His hand was back to lifting your leg, making him hit your g-spot from a different angle. 

Your thighs started to tremble as you felt the pressure building in your body. You broke the kiss with a shaky breath. He moaned your name over and over, filling your ears. 

“I love you, too.” He moaned, tilting his head to rest in the crook of your neck. He left wet, sloppy kisses and he whispered against your skin. “I love you, too.” He repeated. 

You threw your head back as his other hand reached your folds, circling on your clit again. You wrapped your legs around his waist, pulling him closer to you. 

“ _ Fuck,  _ I-I love you, too.” He snapped his hips harder, edging you closer to your climax. You squeezed your eyes tighter as you felt your entire body tense up. You screamed his name over and over again. You felt as if your voice was distant. As if it wasn’t important. 

The only thing that mattered was that he was moaning your name. Telling you that he loved you back. He repeated this, kissing your neck softly as your body relaxed. He stood there holding you until his length went soft. He continued to whisper against your skin that he loved you. His hands roaming all over your body, trying to warm you up. Your body was starting to shiver from the cold air. When you finally gathered enough energy, you opened your eyes to look at him. 

Flip leaned his forehead against yours again as a smile shined down at you. You smiled back at him when a laugh left his mouth. 

“You have no idea how long I’ve been wanting to say that,” you whispered, wrapping your arms around him to pull him closer. You wanted to put your clothes back on to get warm, but you didn’t want to leave his side. 

“Me too.” He laughed again. You felt butterflies in your stomach after hearing that. 

Flip fucking Zimmerman. The man you loved… loved you back. 

He leaned in, planting a soft peck on your lips before finally pulling himself out of you. 

“We should get dressed. It’s getting cold.” He grabbed your hand, leading you off the table. You nodded your head as you watched him bend down. He gathered your clothes and handed it to you. You giggled as you picked a couple of branches off your clothes. You two were quiet as you finished getting dressed. He once again grabbed your hand as he led you back to his truck. The entire way back you couldn’t stop smiling to yourself, hearing his words repeat in your mind. He loved you back. You were such in a trance that when you finally made it to his truck, you reached for the handle, opening the passenger’s side door. 

“Wait.” Flip grabbed your arm, stopping you from getting inside. You looked over to him as he wrapped his arms around your waist, stepping closer to you. His legs were wide, feet on either side of you as he kissed your forehead. 

“I want you to stay at my place.” He looked down at you, waiting for your response. 

“Not just for the night.” He spoke again. 

“Huh?” you looked up at him, hoping to understand what he was trying to say. He looked down at you, chuckling. 

“I want you to come live with me, baby.” One of his hands reached your face as his thumb stroked back and forth over your cheek. He flashed a smile down at you, as a wrinkle formed in between your eyebrows. 

“Are you sure?” you questioned. You wanted to say yes, of course, but you wanted to make sure that’s what he really wanted. 

“Yes.” He planted a soft peck on your lips again. “I personally think we work well together,” he smirked to himself. You shook your head, smiling up at him. 

“Plus, I don’t feel comfortable with you staying there by yourself anymore.” You watched as his glare switched back and forth between your eyes. 

You stood there in silence for a few moments, thinking about it. You took a deep breath when you made a decision. 

“Okay.” You watched as he grinned down at you. He looked so happy, your heart just about melted. He leaned down, planting a kiss on your lips again. 

“Let’s head home, then.” His smile grew bigger at your words. 

“Let’s head home, baby,” he repeated. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> email: spookydal8@gmail  
> twitter/instagram: spookydal_  
> tiktok: spookydal


	23. Deal? Deal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How about a little fluff AND smut for Adam's birthday?? Y'all got a problem with that? 
> 
> didn't think so ;)

You were never going to finish unpacking. Not with Flip around. You were lucky you even moved all the boxes into his place on time. The only reason that happened was that you had to return the moving truck in time. After that, it was an uphill battle with him. Every time you focused on unloading your boxes, you would always find his hands over your hips, pulling you towards him. 

In his loving words, he wanted to  _ “break in every room in the house.” _

You were currently hiding in your new bedroom, trying to hang your scrubs. You bit down on your lip trying to stop the smile forming on your lips. You knew Flip was on a work call while you snuck upstairs. You had to find little moments like these to get some work done. You only managed to unpack your things into the kitchen when he said he had an errand to run. You were shocked to find that your things practically filled his entire kitchen. You didn’t know how he survived on his own.

You thought back to a couple of days ago, your first official day in. Flip gave you a tour of the entire house as if you didn’t spend so many nights there. He was excited to show you the bedroom, showing that he cleared most of the room in his closet for your clothes. You couldn’t hold back the laugh that slipped your lips when you noticed a different variety of flannels hanging up. His flannels were your choice of pj’s now. 

You were wearing nothing but one of his many flannels as you worked. 

You were one box down when you heard his footsteps coming up the stairs. You licked your lips when you felt his hands grab at your hips again. 

“Everything okay at work?” you questioned. You could feel your heart racing when his lips were against your ear. 

“They want me to come in.” His hot breath sent shivers down your spine as you tried to focus on your task. You struggled with the hanger as you shut your eyes at his words. 

“Again?” You whispered as you finally managed to open your eyes to slip the hanger into another shirt. 

The station has been trying to call him for the last couple of days. Since the fiasco at your old place, Flip hasn’t left your side. You told him to go back to work and that you could manage to unload your things without him, but he continuously refused. 

“Hm.” 

You could feel the warmth between your legs start already. It’s only been a few days of living with him and he couldn’t keep his hands off of you. You were quick to hang up the shirt, picking another up from the box.

“Baby, I’m never going to finish unpacking.” you giggled as his hands turned your hips, causing you to turn towards him.

“We have all the time in the world, baby.” You chewed on the inside of your cheek as his hand grabbed the item of clothing from your hands. You watched as he was quick to throw it back in the box, pulling you closer against his chest. The corners of your mouth turned into a smile as he leaned his head in. His plump lips were placed on yours as his hands were gripping on your waist once again. 

You couldn’t help the moan that slipped your mouth as he walked you back towards the bed. You lost your balance, falling backward as the back of your legs hit the mattress. Flip was quick to fall on top of you, placing his hands on either side of your head. You were quick to let another moan slip your lips as he pressed his hips into yours, showing how much he needed you. 

Your hands found themselves tangling in his hair as his tongue grazed your lips. Your ears filled with his grunts as he pressed his hips harder, grinding against you. You took a couple of deep sighs, trying to catch your breath when Flip broke the kiss. He leaned his head, planting sloppy wet kisses on your neck. 

“Flip…” You moaned as you squeezed your eyes shut. You were amazed by the amount of pleasure this man has brought you the last couple of days, and you two were still wanting more. 

“ _ Fuck,  _ I love you,” Flip whispered against your skin. He was leaving a trail of kisses down your neck and around your collarbone, which caused goosebumps to form over your skin. 

You were starting to think that was his favorite thing to tell you now. He has told you those three beautiful words more than your own name. You couldn’t complain though. You kept saying it too. The happiness that spread across his face when you would say it to him. You could melt just from the smile he would flash at you. 

Even though you encouraged him to go back to work, you were glad to have this time with him. Forgetting about everything while being with the man you love? It was a great feeling, honestly. 

“I love you.” you moaned over and over again. You felt the trail of kisses he was leaving you begin to dip lower to your sternum as he unbuttoned his flannel on you. 

“I get to have you whenever I want… in  _ our  _ place.” He mumbled against your skin as he was now leaving kisses around your full breasts. You rolled your eyes to the back of your head as his tongue curled around your nipples. Shivers shot down your spine as the cool air hit against the wet trail he left behind. You could feel how stiff your nipples were as he sucked on them seductively, causing another moan to slip your lips. 

“You look so good like this…” he was leaving kisses down your stomach as he finished unbuttoning his flannel on you. 

“All spread out for me in my shirt…” 

You could hear soft moans rip through his throat as his lips dipped lower and lower. You couldn’t help but squeeze your eyes shut, trying to focus on his mouth. 

“You’re fucking mine, baby.” His voice was muffled as he left soft kisses on your inner thighs.

“I want you to know something…” He whispered between biting your inner thighs. 

“What’s that, baby?” You whimpered every time his teeth bit down on your skin. You could feel your walls clench, anticipating his words. Your eyes shot open as he picked himself back up, hovering over you again. His eyes switched back and forth, staring down at you. He was quiet for a moment like he was lost in his thoughts. You blinked up at him, raising your hand to tangle your fingers in his hair. 

“I’ve known for a long time.” Flip gently shut his eyes as you rubbed circles in his hair. 

“Known what, baby?” You were quick to raise your other hand, placing it on the side of his cheek. He leaned into your touch as he smiled to himself. He leaned down, pressing his chest against yours. You could tell he wanted to be as close to you as he could. 

“That I loved you.” 

You couldn’t help the smile spreading across your face as you pushed his head closer to yours. He placed his lips on yours, lost in a deep kiss. You wrapped your arms around him, puffing your chest out. He moaned against your lips as you pressed your bare breasts against him. 

Flip was quick to grab your round bottom as you flipped over, straddling him. When he squeezed, you bucked your hips. You were sure you were getting his jeans wet as you started grinding against him. 

Your hands were busy with unbuttoning his shirt as he rubbed you all over. 

“I need you, baby.” You pulled your lips away for a moment only to bite down on his bottom lip. 

“Fuck, baby… I love you.” He groaned as he watched you throw the flannel off your back. You sat up, fully naked. You watched as his eyes roamed over your body, paying special attention to your breasts. You giggled when he licked his lips. 

You took your time taking his clothes off. Throwing his cowboy boots off, one by one. His jeans were next, paying special attention to the wet spot you left. You bit down on your lip as you watched his length spring free from his pants, screaming for attention. 

“I love you, too.” You whispered as you leaned your head down, leaving a gentle kiss on the tip of his cock. He moaned your name as a drop of pre-cum beaded at the slit. Just for you. 

You swiped your tongue over it, filling your tastebuds up with his saltiness. Your mouth watered as you watched his cock twitch with his pulse. You licked your lips, letting a bit of drool drop from your mouth. Your hand wrapped around his length, guiding it into your mouth. You slid up and down with ease as your mouth coated his length with your spit. Your ears were filled with him moaning your name over and over again, telling you that he needed you. 

“ _ Ffffuuucckk…”  _ He trailed off intertwining his fingers in your hair. He had a tight hold on you, guiding your head as it bobbed a little faster. 

“Baby, please.” He whined. 

You giggled as you lifted your head, letting a mixture of precum and your spit drip onto his stomach. 

Your clit screamed for attention, but you didn’t care. You were focused on him right now. You were quick to straddle him again, guiding his length to your dripping entrance. You slowly slid down his cock, letting him stretch you out. You whimpered when you took all of him. It took you a moment before you picked up a speed, slowly riding him. His hands gripped your hips tightly as he groaned with each of your thrusts.

You rocked your hips a little faster, shutting your eyes as you hummed to yourself. You would never get used to the pleasure this man brought you, but it just seemed different now. Better, even. 

You moaned his name over and over as one of his hands reached out, grabbing one of your bouncing breasts. 

“F-Fuck, baby.” was moaned from under you. You could hear his mattress start to squeak as you rocked your hips a little faster. The grip on your other hip loosened as his large hand wrapped around your throat, gently holding you. 

“My fucking girl.” he moaned again. His breath was starting to quicken when the grip around your throat tightened. He gave you just enough room to moan loudly as he bucked his hips, causing a sudden amount of pleasure to rip through your body. 

“I-I love you.” He stuttered your name as you set your hand on top of his on your breast. Your skin was starting to get raw from how much he was rubbing it, but you didn’t want him to stop. Your throat ached as you tried to moan against his hand. You let your head fall back a bit, feeling your hair tickle your back. 

“I love you, baby.” A grunt ripped his throat as he slapped your hand away from his. You could feel the wildfire on your skin spread as his hand traced down from your chest to your abdomen. Your hips rocked faster in excitement as his thumb slipped between your folds, circling away on your clit immediately. 

“ _ Fuck!”  _ You shouted as his hand loosened around your neck. You were trying to control your breathing, but his thumb wasn’t making it easy. You could hear a chuckle from underneath you. You could tell he was enjoying himself, watching you lose yourself from his fingertip. 

“I love you, Flip.” You could feel a thin layer of sweat forming on your skin as his moans filled your ears. 

“I love you.” You repeated as you couldn’t help whimper against his thumb. His thumb danced around your clit slowly, going against the rhythm of your hips. Your body jerked in a different direction with each circle his finger went. Your hands pressed against his chest, trying to stabilize yourself. 

You weren’t surprised finding yourself overstimulated as your body continued to jerk. You squeezed your eyes shut as he started to circle faster, thrusting his hips up to you. A frustrated groan filled your ears before you found yourself under him. You felt yourself bounce as he threw you against the bed, hovering over you. 

“Fuck, you feel so fucking good.” He leaned his head in, whispering loudly in your ear. His tongue licked your ear as he started slamming into you. 

“I- _ fuck,  _ I want to show you how much I love you,” the thumb he circled your clit with was now shoved into your mouth, causing your bitterness to scream on your tastebuds. 

“And how much I love making you feel like this.” His thumb was shoved farther in your mouth, muffling your screams. The sound of slapping skin filled your ears as he pumped his hips harder. You sucked harder on his thumb, trying to control your trembling body. 

“Cum for me, baby.” He leaned in. His voice was low, trying to hold back a moan. 

“I want to watch you cum.” His thumb pressed down on your tongue, causing you to salivate. 

“Hm.” was all that you could say.

His thumb slipped out of your mouth as his hand gripped the side of your cheek, opening your mouth up wide. His tongue licked your teeth and top lip before shoving his tongue in. His kiss was sloppy, getting the corners of your mouth wet. 

You moaned against his lips as his fingers traced down your sternum and stomach, sending chills down your spine. 

“Flip!” You shouted, breaking the kiss. His thumb was dancing circles on your clit again. You were trying to control your unsteady breathing as your body contorted in different ways with each circle. 

“Fuck, you look so good like this, baby.” You could feel his hips starting to break his set rhythm, telling you he was getting close. 

You gripped his shoulders, sinking your nails in as you tried to calm yourself down. It wasn’t working as you felt your walls clenching around him. He leaned his head down in the crook of your neck. His soft whispers echoed loudly in your ears. 

“ _ Fuck _ , I love you.” echoed in your ear. “Cum for me, baby.” 

Your nails dug in harder as you squeezed your eyes shut. Your entire body seemed to explode around him as profanities were shouted from your mouth. You could hear him stutter ‘I love you’s’ into your neck as his warm cum unloaded into you. Your chest was heaving as you focused on your breathing. It was a little easier to do since you couldn’t open your eyes. 

His hips thrust one last time, making sure to give you every last drop. It was a few moments until you felt the mattress move around you as he laid next to you. You still didn’t open your eyes when you felt the material of the blanket make contact with your skin. You felt Flip’s hands push one of your arms, telling you to come closer to him. You had to take a deep breath, getting enough energy to turn onto your side. Flip’s arm wrapped around your shoulders, pulling you against his chest. You hummed to yourself as your hand reached up to his head, softly petting his hair. 

“I love you.” a whisper was all you could muster up. His soft chuckle filled your ears as his arm gripped tighter. 

“I love hearing you say that.” his voice was muffled as his lips were pressed against your forehead, planting a kiss. It was quiet for a couple of minutes before he spoke again. 

“I love you, too.” He whispered against your forehead again, before the both of you drifted off into a nap.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


After you and Flip woke up from your nap, you decided to go to the diner to get lunch. Flip was quick to suggest Charlie’s, excited to tell Mary about the progress in your relationship. 

“I’m going to cry! I’m so happy for you two!!” Mary ran over to you and Flip, gathering you two in a giant hug. 

You could see tears forming in Mary’s eyes as she pulled away from the hug. 

“Did you like The Bishkek?!” She squealed as she grabbed your hand, pulling you away from Flip. She leads you to the same booth you sat in the last time you were here. 

“Flip was so nervous.” Mary leaned in, whispering as she had a smile spread across her face. You couldn’t help but smile back, looking over to Flip. His face turned red, almost like he was embarrassed. 

“I was not.” Flip slid into the booth, patting the seat next to him. Mary was still holding your hand as you slid in next to him. His arm wrapped around your shoulders, pulling you closer to him.

“Sure.” You giggled, leaning against his chest. Mary’s hand was shaking around yours when you looked up to her. 

“I’m just so happy for you two.” The smile seemed permanent as she loosened her grip around your hand. 

“I’ll go grab you two some coffee.” 

You looked back at her, watching her walk towards the kitchen. A wrinkle formed between your eyebrows when you noticed her gripping the counter as she walked alongside it. 

“Do you remember the last time we were here?” Flip stole your attention as he leaned in, whispering in your ear. You looked over to him, noticing he had a smile on his face. 

“Yeah, I do.” You smiled back at him as he leaned his forehead against yours. “It was after I stitched you up.” You placed your hand over his forehead where his stitches once were. 

“That’s right.” You watched as he licked his lips, which made your heart start to pound against your chest. The power this man had over you was starting to get a little embarrassing. 

“I kissed you right out there,” Flip whispered against your lips before planting a peck on your lips. You took a sharp inhale thinking back to it. You couldn’t help biting down on your lip as his hand moved to rest on your thigh. 

“I remember that too.” You licked your lips as you looked down at his hand. The grip on your thigh tightened, causing your body to ache for him. Again. You looked up at him, shaking your head. You noticed he had a smirk on his face, telling you that he knew exactly what he was doing. 

“You trying to get a reaction out of me, Zimmerman?” You questioned, still staring into his eyes. The sunlight behind him causing his eyes to look green. You blinked a few times, noticing how beautiful they looked. 

You licked your lips as his laugh filled your ears. You watched as he slowly shook his head no. 

“I don’t believe you one bit.” You squinted your eyes over at him, causing him to laugh once again. The smile on your face faded as his hand inched closer, slowly moving up your thigh. 

“I have a present for you.” He leaned forward, mumbling against your lips. You licked your lips, watching your favorite strand of hair hover over his forehead. You were slowly closing your eyes, getting ready for his kiss when you heard glass shattering from behind you. You turned your head over, noticing Mary was gripping the counter again with broken glass and coffee on the ground. 

“Are you okay, Mary?” You could hear Flip’s question as you stood up from the booth. You quickly walked over to her, grabbing her arm. Flip was quick to join you, leading her to the nearest chair. 

“I-I’m okay. I think I just got too excited earlier.” You watched as she wiped her forehead with the back of her hand. 

You crouched down, looking up at her. You quickly noticed how pale she looked. You looked over to Flip, seeing the worry start to show on his face. 

“Are you a diabetic, Mary?” You grabbed her hand, looking back over to her. She felt clammy, as sweat was starting to form on her skin. 

“Yes… My doctor just told me.” She took a deep breath, looking over to you. 

“Are you checking your sugars?” You questioned. You looked over to Flip, motioning him towards the kitchen. 

“Get some orange juice, baby.” You were quick to look back over to Mary, who was leaning back in the chair. Flip’s footsteps were rapid, busting through the kitchen doors. 

“I haven’t been real good about checking it.” A forced laugh came from her mouth, almost embarrassed.

“Do you have the machine with you?” You watched as she nodded her head, pulling out a little case from her apron pocket. You took it from her, unzipping it. You noticed everything was still in its package, telling you she wasn’t checking her blood sugars at all. 

Flip came into view again, handing Mary a glass of orange juice. 

“Drink it, Mary.” Flip pleaded as you set everything on the chair next to Mary, opening all the packages. Seemed like forever once you finally pricked her finger, placing a small drop of blood onto the testing strip. 

Mary sipped from the cup as the machine beeped. 

“33.” You read off. “Finish that cup and we will check it again. 

  
  
  
  


Another glass of juice and some graham crackers later, Mary’s blood sugar was back to normal. You expressed to her that she needed to make sure she ate snacks throughout the day and be consistent with checking her blood sugar. 

“Thank you.” Flip and Mary said at the same time. You stepped up to Mary, grabbing her hand. 

“I can’t watch over you  _ and _ him… I already have my hands full with him.” You watched as the corners of her mouth turned into a smile. She nodded her head, pulling you into a hug. She rested her chin on your shoulder. You looked over to Flip, leaning against the counter, smiling as he watched you and Mary. 

“I’ll be better, I promise.” She squeezed you a little harder before pulling away. She turned towards Flip, grabbing his hand. She stood on her tippy toes, whispering something in his ear. She kissed him on the cheek before looking back at you. 

“I’ll bring out some new coffee.” She flashed a smile at you before walking back towards the kitchen. 

Flip had a smile on his face as he looked over to you. You crossed your arms over your chest, squinting your eyes at him again.

“Keeping secrets, are we?” You couldn’t help the giggle that slipped your mouth as he rushed over to you, wrapping his arms around your waist. He pulled you against his chest, lifting one of his hands to rest on your cheek. 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” His thumb caressed your cheek back and forth before he leaned his head down, placing his lips against yours. 

  
  
  
  


“Now, you need to quit keeping her from me, Flip.” Mary smiled over to you two at the door. “Don’t wait another couple more months before you bring her back.” She had her hand over her hip as she lectured him. 

“I won’t, I promise.” Flip chuckled with a cigarette in his mouth. “We’ll see you later, Mary. Take care of yourself.” Flip waved over as smoke drifted out of his nose. He stepped in front of you, opening the door. You smiled to yourself as you walked in front of him, heading to his truck. 

When you walked up to the passenger’s side, you could hear Flip’s boot stomping on his cigarette butt. His hands were quick to grab your hips and turn you around. A giggle slipped your mouth as he pressed his hips into yours, pinning you against his truck. You could feel your heart skip a beat as his hand rested on the side of your face, thumb tracing your bottom lip. 

You watched as his gaze switched back and forth between your eyes. 

“Can I ask you something?” Flip whispered as he gently rolled your bottom lip. 

“Of course.” You mumbled against his thumb. 

“What do you usually do for Thanksgiving?” 

You could tell he felt nervous since he was now avoiding eye contact with you. 

“I visit my mom.” You wrapped your arms around him, pulling him a little closer to you.

“What about you?” You ran your hand up and down his back, trying to comfort him. His thumb moved off your lip as his hand made its way to your hair. 

“I-Uh, don’t do anything. I usually offer to work, since everyone wants to stay with family.” Flip cleared his throat, finally making eye contact with you again. 

“You don’t see any family?” You tilted your head as you waited for his answer. 

“I don’t have any.” He mumbled under his breath as he stared down at your eyes. “My parents died a few years ago, and I don’t have any siblings.” He cleared his throat again. 

“Baby,” Your hand stopped moving on his back, shocked at what you were hearing. “I’m sorry, I didn’t-” 

“It’s okay.” He interrupted you. 

You watched as he clenched his jaw, taking a deep breath through his nose. 

“I was just wondering…” He trailed off, biting his lip. “If we could spend Thanksgiving together.” His voice was low, almost scared of your response. 

“You didn’t know?” You questioned as you watched his face twist with confusion. 

“Know what?”

You could tell he was trying to figure it out in his mind as his gaze switched back and forth again. 

“Oh, I thought you knew…” A smile spread across your face, rubbing his back again. “I planned on dragging you along with me to my mom’s.” You smiled as you heard his laugh fill your ears.

“Good to know.” He leaned down, planting a peck on your lips. “Oh! I almost forgot.” He unwrapped his arms, placing his hands over your hips. He pushed your hips over, telling you to take a few steps. You blindly followed his gestures as he opened the passenger door, leaning in to open the glove department. 

“What is it, baby?” You watched as he pulled a rectangle box, standing in front of you as he shut the door. 

“The present I told you about.” You watched as a smile spread across his face as he handed you the box. He mentioned something before Mary’s sugar dropped. You smiled up at him, grabbing the box from his hands. 

“Open it.” You could hear the smile still on his face as you looked down, noticing the velvet material around your fingers. 

You glanced up at him before obeying his command. You slowly opened the box, eyes instantly noticing the pendant. It was a zig-zag of an EKG, leading to a diamond-studded heart at the end. You ran your fingers over the heart as you gasped.

“Baby… It’s beautiful.” You looked up at him, seeing the smile still on his face. “When did you even get this?” You were curious since you two haven’t left each other's side in the last few days. 

“Remember that errand I had to run?” He grabbed the box from your hands, peeling the necklace out with his fingers. 

“You mean when I could finally unpack the kitchen?” You giggled, turning around as you lifted your hair off your neck. 

“That’s when.” You felt his fingers struggle with the tiny clasp, securing it around your neck. When his hands were on your hips, turning you over again, you set your hair back down, letting it fall against your shoulders. 

“Thank you.” You threw your arms around his shoulders, pulling him to meet your face. You placed your lips on his, pulling him closer against you. 

“Hmm.” He buzzed against your lips as he pressed his hips against yours once again. Your heart rate quickened as you felt the growing warmth starting between your legs. 

“Fuck, baby.” You pulled away from the kiss, leaning your head back against his truck. You didn’t know how to tell him that you needed him, once again. 

“Let’s go.” He smirked down at you. Of course… The fucker knew the effect he had on you. 

He was quick to open the passenger door for you, almost shoving you inside by your arm. You giggled as you sat down, shutting the door behind you. Flip was quick to sit in the driver’s seat, turning the key to start the ignition. 

Flip turned his head to either side before putting the truck in reverse. You looked around, noticing he was driving past some trees behind the diner. You felt a smirk grow on your face, thanking whatever higher power put this diner on a secluded road. 

When he parked the truck, killing the engine, you didn’t have to think about getting out of your jeans and panties before straddling him. He tangled his fingers in your hair, pushing your lips against his. The kiss was sloppy as your hands lifted his flannel. You could feel his length poking your inner thigh as you unzipped his jeans. His hand loosened from your hair as he lifted his hips, tugging his pants down, freeing his length. You bit down on his lower lip as it bounced against your inner thigh. 

“You see how bad I need you right now?” You guided his length to your already dripping entrance, slowly sinking on it. 

“ _ Fuck! _ ” His hands pressed hard around your hips as you rode him at a fast speed. You didn’t have time before someone either noticed or drove by. 

“You’re so tight, baby.” He struggled to grunt under his breath as you shook the truck along with your thrusts. 

“And just for you…” You trailed off, leaving your mouth open. You couldn’t keep your eyes open by the amount of pleasure his dick was bringing you. At this rate, you could cum just from riding him. 

Flip wouldn’t let that happen, though. He wanted you to feel  _ everything. _ One hand on your hip loosened, slipping his hand between your folds. His thumb circled your juices before meeting your clit. 

You lifted your arm, holding the ceiling as you picked up speed, matching his thumb. You could feel your wetness dripping onto his thighs as you moaned in the little space of his truck. 

“Fuck… You’re close, baby.” He grunted. “I can feel it.” He circled your clit faster, looking around the windows. 

“Come on, baby.” He moaned again as you thrust a little faster. “Cum for me.”

Your body followed his words as your entire body trembled on top of him. You squeezed your eyes shut as your hips stuttered to a stop. 

“ _ F-Ffuucckkk! _ ” Flip’s thumb stopped as you felt him fill you up. You hummed to yourself, as you both started coming down from your highs.

When he finally caught his breath, he leaned his head forward, kissing your skin around the necklace. 

“We have no excuse now… We have to finish unpacking today…” You laughed through taking a couple of deep breaths. 

“Ugh… Fine…” He lifted his head as you moved back to your seat. 

“I’m not letting you leave bed tomorrow, then.” You leaned your head back against the headrest as you bit your lip. You thought about staying in bed all day with Flip… How much fun you two could have. 

“Deal?” Flip questioned, stuffing himself back into his jeans. 

“Deal.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What did y'all think? 
> 
> Even though Adam doesn't know I exist, I'm very thankful that I have made so many friendships with so many beautiful people. You guys mean the world to me and I love you so much. Just wanted to let you know :)  
> -Dal


	24. Thanksgiving

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Thanksgiving you guys!!! I hope you have a good day whether you spend it with family or friends! Stay safe, and enjoy nervous Flip ;)  
> -Dal

“Baby…” 

Flip smirked to himself, glancing over to you. You had your head leaned against the headrest with your eyes shut. He burned that image in his mind as he turned his head, looking back onto the road in front of him. He could feel your thighs tremble against his hand as he slowly circled his middle finger. Moans crept out of your mouth as he picked up the pace on your clit. Flip had to bite his lip to suppress his own moans. The sight of you like this was enough to get himself off. 

Flip didn’t want to admit to himself that this was the only thing that could control his nerves. Seeing you unravel just from his finger was the best stress reliever. It was gonna be a good two hours to drive to your mom’s house in celebration of Thanksgiving. Flip honestly thought the holiday was overrated and stupid. People just used it as an excuse to stay home, watch football, and drink. 

Things were different now. They have been ever since the night he met you. 

You reassured him that he had nothing to worry about, that they would love him just as much as you did. He was still nervous as shit, though. You kept telling him it would be fine. That if he ever felt too uncomfortable, they could steal a couple of plates and sneak off to your old room. 

Your soft moans yanked his attention back to reality. Your teeth were sinking down on your bottom lip as your breath quickened. He turned his head to look at you when you scooted closer to him. 

“W-What-” He stuttered as he felt your hands work on his jeans. He licked his lips as you tugged on the material. He managed to lift himself up off his seat just enough for you to free his hardened length. 

He couldn’t help the grunt that ripped through his throat as he glanced down at your hand, bouncing up and down on his length, already producing pre-cum to bead at his slit. He took a deep breath, averting his eyes back on the road. He swallowed the knot in his throat as he tried to stay focused. 

His finger swirled faster around your clit hearing your whimpers from the other side of his truck. He loved how you reacted just from his fingers, but hated that he couldn’t look at you. Watching as your hair fell over your face. Your hands gripping the fabric of your dress, trying to control your body shaking. He wanted to pull over and let your tits bounce in his face as you rode him. 

“Flip!” You shouted. He could see in his peripheral vision that you shot your free hand up against the dashboard, almost knocking over his police radio. He smirked to himself as he quickly glanced over to you. 

Your other hand bounced faster, making him take a shaky breath in. He was glad there was barely anyone on the road at this hour. He found himself swerving into other lanes as another one of your moans filled his ears. 

“I’m close, baby.” You pumped your hand along with the rhythm of his finger. “ _ Fuck,  _ I’m close.” 

He was amazed that you kept up with your hand as your body twitched, riding the final shockwaves that his hand brought you. 

It only took a moment for you to scoot yourself back over, moving towards the window. A wrinkle formed in between his eyebrows as he tried to figure out why in the hell you weren’t close to him anymore. 

“Oh, shit.” was uttered from his mouth as he watched you lean over, sliding his length into your mouth. 

Flip licked his fingers that were buried into you, letting your bitterness fill his taste buds. He laid his head back against the headrest, trying his best to keep his eyes open and focused on the road. He slipped his fingers out of his mouth and laid them against your head, gripping your hair.

“Fuck, baby.” He mumbled under his breath. He felt how warm and wet your mouth as you bobbed your head up and down. His grip on your hair tightened a little harder, producing a moan to buzz around his length. He guided your head, telling you to go a little faster. He could feel his face start to warm up as he felt himself edging closer and closer… 

“Shit.” He adjusted his hold on the steering wheel as he felt himself drifting off into another lane. He looked around in his mirrors, thanking whoever that the roads were still empty. He took this opportunity to look down at you. 

He studied how your curls bounced with each movement of your head. How the fabric from your dress was still pushed up to your waist. He licked his lips when he noticed your panties still pushed down to your knees. He shook his head, almost like this was all too good to be true. 

“Fuck!” Flip’s hold on your hair grew tight as he held your head in place, shooting his load to the back of your throat. He could feel this length pulsating as your tongue licked every last inch of him. 

“Hm.” you hummed around him, causing chills to shoot down his spine. He could feel your throat swallow his load before sitting up, wiping the corner of your mouth with the back of your hand. You shimmed your panties back on before settling in your seat again. 

Flip reached out, grabbing your arm. He could hear your giggle fill his ears as he tugged you towards him. 

“Come here.” 

  
  


It wasn’t long until he heard your soft snores coming from your mouth as you drifted off. Flip would lean his head forward, digging his nose into your hair. He hummed to himself, letting your scent comfort him. You would adjust your head against his shoulder, using him as a pillow. That, of course, made him smile. He thought it was the cutest thing ever. 

Flip cursed to himself as he swerved the steering wheel, avoiding the potholes in the road. He didn’t want anything to wake you up, especially if you were comfortable resting on him. You nuzzled your head against his shoulder as Flip gently swerved over another pothole. He shook his head as he started to get frustrated, wondering why in the hell there were so many. 

Flip’s mind started to wander over the last week when he heard your slow breaths, telling him that you were still sleeping. 

He was so excited for you two to move in together. He knew he didn’t make it easy on you, which he thought was funny. Your nose always crinkled when you started to get annoyed. You were never mad at him, though. The opposite actually. Every time you would say those wonderful three words to him, his heart would start to race, feeling a sense of excitement. 

Flip was happy. Which hasn’t happened for a long time. He never thought he would imagine himself in love again, let alone spending Thanksgiving together. He didn’t mind, though. When it came to you, he would do anything to make you happy. 

Flip didn’t have to wonder if you felt the same about him. You were the only thing he was sure about in his life. The only constant he wanted. Needed, actually. He was almost scared by how he felt for you. The amount of love he had. He didn’t think that would even be possible again. You were a butcher with a smile, tearing the walls down that was around his heart. 

He planted a soft kiss on the top of your head as the nerves started again. It’s been years since he’s been in a relationship. Even longer since he craved the approval of their family. What if they didn’t like him? What if they didn’t think he was good enough for you? What if they don’t like that he’s a detective? Will they be bothered by him smoking around you? 

So many questions ran through his head as he nibbled on his bottom lip. He had to find some way to get through tonight. He desperately wanted your family to like him. So much was riding on this dinner. He felt like this was ultimately going to decide his future with you. 

“Are we almost there?”

Flip could hear the sleepiness in your voice as you sat up a little straighter. He smiled to himself when he noticed you still leaning on his chest. 

“We will be there in a couple of minutes, actually.” Flip took a deep breath, feeling his heart drop down to his ass. He glanced over as you sat up, grabbing his pack of cigarettes. Your yawn filled his ears as you handed him a cigarette with a lighter. 

“Here, baby... To calm you down.” You looked over to him with a smile on your face. Flip chuckled over to you, grabbing the cigarette from your hand. He hesitated before lighting it, looking over to you. 

“Is your family okay with me smoking?” His voice was low as he watched a wrinkle form in between your eyebrows. 

“I just want to make a good impression…” His voice trailed off as you leaned your head against his chest again. 

“My mom and brother smoke…” You adjusted, getting more comfortable. “Look, you already have something in common.”

Flip heard a giggle from you as he wrapped his arm around your shoulders, pulling you closer against him. He could feel his muscles relax as he finally lit his cigarette, letting the nicotine slowly run through his system. He practically smoked the entire thing in just a few minutes, inhaling as much as he could. 

“Ready?” you asked him as he pulled into the driveway. He took a deep breath through his nose as he looked over to you. 

“Not at all.” 

He wrapped his arm around your waist, pulling you closer to him. He gently laid his hand against your cheek, rubbing his thumb back and forth. He watched as your eyes studied his face before leaning your forehead against his. He was starting to get butterflies in his tummy again as he closed his eyes shut. 

“Hey.” You whispered, hoping to get his attention. Flip kept his eyes shut, still feeling anxious. 

“No matter what they say, it won’t change the way I feel about you… You know that right?” Flip could feel your lips rub against his as you leaned your head in, giving him a quick peck. 

“I know…” He trailed off again, taking another deep breath. He shook his head trying to get the confidence he needed to leave his truck. 

“Come on,” you managed to get out of his hold and out of the truck. Flip watched you through the window adjusting your dress. He couldn’t help but smirk to himself, knowing that you were trying to make it seem like you two definitely didn’t mess around on the way here. He chuckled to himself as he stepped out. 

You held your hand out waiting for him to grab it. When he did you led him to the front door, tugging him along. He could feel his feet dragging, rethinking everything. 

He should have worn a better shirt. Maybe he should have driven faster to get here earlier. That would have made a good impression, right? 

He clenched his jaw when you knocked on the front door. It only took a few seconds for a little boy to open the door. He was about seven-years-old, wearing a football jersey. Flip chuckled as he watched the little boy jump in excitement, throwing his arms around you in a hug. 

“Hey, Evan!” You were taken aback by the pressure of the hug, knocking Flip’s hand out of yours. 

“I missed you, kiddo.” You bent down to pick him up, resting him on your hip. Flip could sense the nervousness from the kid as he made eye contact with him. He dipped his head into the crook of your neck. He watched as you patted his head, trying to comfort him. 

You were good with kids… Flip bit down on his lip, not knowing how much he was going to love that. 

“This is Flip.” You looked up at him, smiling. Flip watched as you took a step closer to him. 

“Flip,” Evan whispered as he tried to sneak a peek past your hair, getting a good look at him.

“Yeah. This is my boyfriend.” Flip watched as the smile on your face grew bigger. 

“Flip… This is Evan, my nephew.” You turned your head over, seeing that Evan got enough courage to pick his head back up, studying Flip. 

“He’s a detective.” Flip could sense that you were trying to butter him up, which he was honestly grateful for. If Evan was the only person he could win over, so be it. Flip chuckled, reaching into his back pocket. He didn’t know why he still had his badge on him. It was out of habit he guessed. 

“You can hold onto it.” Flip watched as Evan's tiny fingers hesitated to grab the shiny badge from his hands. 

“Wow…” Evan gasped, fully inspecting the hunk of metal in his hands. 

“Can I show daddy?” Evan looked over to Flip for approval. 

“My brother, Mark.” You looked over to Flip, giving him the inside scoop. 

“Oh,” Flip nodded his head, repeating that name in his mind. “Of course, Evan. It’s yours for the day.” 

Evan flashed him a smile before tapping you on the shoulder, nudging you to let him down. When you obliged, you two watched as he ran through the house. 

“Daddy! I’m a detective!!” Evan’s shouting was echoed throughout the house. 

Flip placed his hand on your lower back as you two laughed at this. You shook your head, shutting the door behind you. 

“See? At least one person thinks you’re cool.” You smirked up at him. 

“That doesn’t include you, does it?” Flip chuckled down at you as you wrapped your arm around him. 

“Oh no… You still have to convince me, I’m afraid.” 

Flip watched as your eyes shrunk a little with your laugh, before standing on your tippy-toes, planting a soft kiss on his lips. 

“Come on.” You unwrapped your arm, once again dragging him by his hand.

Flip clenched his jaw again when you led him into the kitchen. He immediately noticed a woman standing over the stove, mixing something in a pot. Her back was facing him, but he could tell who it was. She had dark hair just like yours. 

“Hey, mom.” 

He could feel every muscle in his body tense up as the woman turned her head, looking immediately at him. 

“This is Flip.” 

He could hear himself gulp when he watched your mom walk over with a smile. 

“Oh, he  _ is _ handsome…” Your mom walked over, giving you a quick hug. 

“It’s nice to meet you.” His voice cracked as your mom wrapped her arms around him, embracing him into a hug. 

“It’s nice to meet you, too.” 

She pulled away from the hug, flashing him another smile. 

“I’m Fatima.” 

Fatima looked over to you, waving her hands to shoo you away. 

“Go say hi to your brother,” she walked back over to the oven, opening the little door to reveal the turkey cooking. 

“Flip can help me.”

You squeezed his hand before letting go. 

“You okay?” you whispered over to him. 

Flip nodded his head, smiling down at you. He couldn’t help but watch as you walked into the living room, sitting on the couch next to who he assumed was Mark, your brother. 

“I’m excited to finally meet you in person, Flip.” 

Flip cleared his throat, turning his head back over as he watched Fatima setting the turkey on the kitchen island. Flip took a deep breath before getting the courage to walk over and stand next to her. He could hear your ‘hello’s’ from the living room, along with Evan’s laughing. 

“Thank you for letting me come.” 

He watched as she shut the oven door, humming to herself. He watched as she opened a drawer, setting a carving set next to the turkey. 

“Oh, it’s no problem.” She flashed a smile up at him before leaning against the island with her hip. Flip watched as she crossed her arms over her chest, looking out into the living room. He turned his head, following her gaze. You were now on the floor, playing with Evan. You had your hands up as Evan flashed the badge over to you. 

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen her so happy, Flip.” 

He couldn’t help the smile spreading across his face as you caught his eye. You flashed a smile back before going back to Evan. 

“I can hear it in her voice when she calls too.” 

Flip looked back over to Fatima as he chewed on the inside of his cheek. He took a slow breath from his nose as he started to relax. He knew you felt the same about him, but hearing it from someone else gave him the validation he didn’t know he needed. 

“Your daughter means a lot to me, Fatima.” Flip watched as she held a lighter up to her mouth, sparking up a cigarette. 

“Please,” she inhaled. “Call me Fifi.” 

He watched as she blew the smoke out of her mouth, looking back over to you in the living room. 

“She wouldn’t shut up about you after you two met.” 

Flip thanked God she was still looking into the living room. He could have sworn he felt himself blushing. He chuckled to himself, looking over to you again. 

Evan was now sitting on your lap as you two watched whatever was on the TV. He was still fidgeting with the badge in his hands. 

“I don’t think I did either.” Flip looked down at his feet smiling. 

“I wish her dad could see her like this…” Fatima caught his attention again as he looked over to her. Flip remembered the first time he took you to the diner. The nurses that took care of your dad was the reason you decided to be one. 

Flip watched as she took a second to herself before clearing her throat. She gestured towards the carving set. 

“Mark usually does it, but if you’re okay with it…” She trailed off, taking another puff of her cigarette. 

  
  
  
  
  


It wasn’t long until everyone was sitting at the dinner table. Fifi was listing things she was thankful for, including that Flip could join them this year. They all lifted their glasses to cheers, including Evan with his soda. 

“Cheers, kiddo.” You tapped his can with your glass of wine which made Flip smile. You were so cute.

“So Flip… Is that short for something?” Mark was putting food on Evan’s plate as he looked over to Flip. 

“Phillip.” Flip took a sip of his beer as his attention was stolen by you taking his plate. You made sure to put every food on his plate before setting it back down in front of him. Flip placed his hand on your thigh as you did the same with your own plate. 

“I always wanted to be a detective when I was little,” Mark smiled to himself as he started cutting up the turkey into bite-sized portions for Evan. 

“Then I grew up to become a geologist… Go figure.” Mark laughed at himself as he set Evan’s plate down. 

“That means he looks at rocks, Flip!” Evan was excited as he set Flip’s badge down next to his drink, stuffing turkey into his mouth. 

Flip and you laughed along with Mark as everyone started eating. In all honesty, Flip was more nervous to meet your brother. He figured he was safe since he was initiating conversation. 

There wasn’t an awkward moment over dinner, thank God. Everyone was mostly catching up since they haven’t seen each other in a while. Flip sat back and watched as you interacted with your family. It made him happy to see you happy. 

When everyone was done eating, Flip was ordered to hand over his phone to Fifi. His face twisted with confusion as he followed her commands. 

“Smile.” 

Flip chuckled as he wrapped his arm around you, pulling you closer to him. 

“Really, mom?” You laughed as you leaned into his chest. 

“What?! You two need pictures together!” Fifi held up the phone. “Now, smile.” 

Fifi snapped a few before handing his phone back. You were still leaning against his chest as he shoved his phone back into his pocket.

“Mark and I will clean up, go relax before dessert.” 

Flip’s attention was stolen by you grabbing his hand, once again tugging him along. He squinted through the darkness walking past the kitchen and living room. He looked around as he noticed you were taking him upstairs. 

“Where are we going?” Flip questioned. He bit down on his lip when you turned around and put your finger over your mouth, shushing him. He smirked up at you as you continued to lead the way. 

When you made it to the top of the steps, you walked down a long hall. He looked around at the walls. Most of the pictures were of you and Mark growing up. There were quite a few of a man that he hadn't met tonight. He tugged on your hand, stopping you in your tracks. Flip took a step closer to get a better look at the photo. 

“That’s my dad.” Your voice was low as you stepped next to him. 

“This is me and him on vacation when I was little.” Flip followed your finger to another photo. 

“You were a cute kid.” Flip smiled over to you. You were distracted looking at the picture of your dad hanging on the wall in front of you. 

“Now look at you.” Flip wrapped his arm around your waist, pulling you closer to him. 

“Still cute?” you looked over to him batting your eyelashes. You turned your body to turn towards him, twirling your fingers in his hair. 

“I’m afraid so.” Flip chuckled as he felt chills shoot down his body as you continued to play with his hair. 

You playfully rolled your eyes, taking a step back. You didn’t take another one until he stepped forward, leading you to one of the bedrooms at the end of the hall. It wasn’t until you walked past the threshold to get out of his hold. Flip looked around the room as you shut the door behind him. 

“Is this-” 

“My old room.” You interrupted him. He smiled to himself as he noticed all the books on your shelf. He then looked over to the desk next to the window. He could imagine you sitting there and studying for a big test. 

“I think this is the first time a boy has been in my room.” You playfully gasped while sitting on your old bed. 

Flip couldn’t help the smile on his face. You were fidgeting with the hem of your dress as you looked up at him. 

“Is that right?” Flip took a few steps before sitting on the bed next to you. He watched as you nodded your head, scooting closer to him. 

“Well,” Flip took a quick breath in as he traced his finger up your thigh, lifting your dress up slowly. “I think we should celebrate, don’t you think?” He watched as goosebumps formed on your skin. 

“Hm.” you hummed in agreement. 

He dragged his finger farther, revealing you in your panties. He hummed to himself, already feeling the pressure in his jeans start. 

“So, you never had that fear of being walked in on before?” Flip leaned in, leaving soft kisses up and down your neck. His fingers peeled back your panties as he slid his hand in, stretching out the material. He stroked his fingers, already feeling your juices spill out from your folds. 

You gently shook your head with your mouth open, anticipating the pleasure he was going to bring you from his fingers. 

“Of getting caught?” Flip whispered against your skin. He could feel you shiver next to him as he spoke. 

“N-No.” You stuttered. Flip lifted his head, watching as your eyes grew heavy. He peeled your folds apart, shoving in two fingers into your entrance. Flip bit down on his lip as he felt your ridges already contracting around him. You were so eager for him. 

“Never felt this good in your own bed?” Flip swallowed the knot in his throat when you spread your legs wider, giving him more access to him. 

“ _ Fuck.” _ He mumbled under his breath. He watched as you shook your head. He brought his fingers up to his mouth, sucking on your taste. 

The only dessert he needed. 

When he yanked his fingers out, he stood up over you. 

“Lay down, baby.” He tilted his head, watching as you scooted yourself back, laying down. Flip grunted at the sight. He leaned forward, snaking his hands under your dress. He watched as you shut your eyes when his fingers grasped at your panties. He was slow to bring it down your legs, noticing the added weight to it. He knew you were wet for him… waiting for him. 

He was quick to throw them to the ground as he hovered over you. He bent his head down, licking your lips to open. A soft moan left your mouth as he shoved his tongue in, kissing you sloppily. 

Flip heard another moan leave your lips, buzzing around his. He felt your hands lift up his shirt to unbutton his jeans. 

Flip broke the kiss, looking down at you. You bit down on your lip, desperate to set him free. You couldn’t hold back the smile that spread across your face when you succeed at your task. You were quick to tug at his pants, freeing his length to hit against your thigh. 

“We have to hurry…” Flip lifted your dress to your waist, fully exposing you. 

“Before someone walks in.” You finished his sentence as his hand was now on his dick, pumping back and forth. He could feel his pre-cum in his hands as he worked on himself. He took a sharp inhale as he led himself to your entrance. 

“ _ Shit _ .” He mumbled under his breath. His eyes shut, with the amount of pleasure he was getting. He slowly sunk himself into you, stretching you out around him. You moaned as your hands were lost in his hair. You pulled his hair with each slow thrust he took. He loved teasing you like this.

“I love you,” you squeezed your eyes shut as his hips gained speed. 

“I love you, baby.” You moaned again when he leaned his head down, kissing your neck again. 

“ _ F-Fuck _ , I love you, baby.” He moaned back. He moved one of his hands to your leg, lifting it up. You moaned a little louder as he rubbed against your g-spot. He could feel your walls tighten around him as he snapped his hips faster. 

“I wish I could keep you in here all night, baby,” Flip grunted when you wrapped your leg around him, holding him close to you. His hand then moved to your throat, wrapping his fingers tightly. He picked his head up, watching as you moved up and down the mattress with his thrusts. 

Your mouth hung open, silently screaming with pleasure. One of your hands snaked in between your bodies, rubbing at your clit. He could tell you found the perfect spot as your eyes rolled to the back of your head. 

“Fuck, baby. You’re so hot.” Flip mumbled under his breath. He released the grip on your throat, causing your chest to heave, catching your breath. Your body twitched with each movement of your fingers, circling around on your clit. 

Flip had to hold his hand over your mouth when you moaned loudly. 

“Shhh…” He leaned his head in closer to yours. He slowly released his hand, pressing his lips against yours. 

Flip felt like a hypocrite as he loudly moaned against your lips. His tongue grazed your lips as he snapped his hips harder against you. 

It didn’t take long for you to break the kiss, catching your breath. He leaned his forehead against yours, looking into your eyes. His eyes were heavy, but he didn’t want to close them. He wanted to watch you unravel under him. 

“Flip…” You moaned quietly. You wrapped your arms around him, pulling him against your chest. 

“I love you…” Flip couldn’t handle it anymore. He shut his eyes as he moaned this over and over. You were happy with him. You loved him. That’s all that mattered. 

“Baby… I-I’m close.” He stuttered. He snapped his hips harder, leaning his head down again. He bit down on your shoulder, letting the material of your dress fill his mouth. He had to do something to suppress his moans. 

“Cum for me, baby.” You moaned quietly again, tangling your fingers in his hair. 

Flip bit down harder on your shoulder as his hips started to stutter. He could feel your walls spasm around him. He pumped his hips a few more times until he felt his cum unload into you. He felt your legs start to tremble as your fingers came to a stop on your clit. 

He had his eyes closed until you guided his head off your shoulder. He slowly opened his eyes as he looked at you under him. You petted his hair back, smiling up at him. 

“I love you.” You whispered as you unwrapped your leg from his waist. 

“I love you too,” Flip leaned his head back down, kissing you all over your face. You giggled at him, pulling him closer to you. 

“So fucking much.” Flip planted his lips on yours, kissing you gently. You hummed against his lips, twirling his hair in your fingers. Flip pulled away from the kiss, looking over to the side table. 

“We should go back down.” He chuckled as he looked over to the clock. He slipped out of you, standing up. He adjusted himself into his jeans, watching as you grabbed your panties. You walked over to the bathroom that was connected to the bedroom. 

  
  
  
  


It wasn’t long until you and Flip were at the door, saying goodbye to your family. 

“I hope to have you on Christmas too, Flip.” Fifi had her arms around him again, pulling him into a hug.

“I wouldn’t miss it.” Flip smiled down at her when she stood up straighter. He watched as she looked over to you, pulling you into a hug. 

“Hey, it was nice to see you, man. Thank you for letting Evan use your badge.” Mark shook his hand before handing over his badge. Evan was sleeping his Mark’s arms after he tired himself from playing detective all night. 

Flip smiled over to Mark, stuffing his badge into his back pocket. 

“It’s no problem.” Flip replied.

“We’ll see you for Christmas,” Mark told you now, giving you a side hug. 

“Bye.” 

“Bye.” 

Flip grabbed your hand, walking you back to his truck. He opened the passenger door for you, guiding you in. 

He was quick to get into the driver's seat, starting the ignition. You didn’t say anything until he was back on the freeway. 

“Wasn’t that bad, was it?” It was too dark to tell, but he knew you were smiling over to him. You scooted over to him, leaning against his chest. 

“Nope.” Flip smiled, wrapping his arm around your shoulder. 

You hummed along to the Christmas music already starting on the radio. 

“Christmas is my favorite holiday, you know.” You tilted your head, looking up at him. 

“Is that right?” Flip leaned over, planting a quick peck on your lips before looking back onto the road. 

“Hm.” You agreed. “I go all out for Christmas.” He could hear another smile with your words. 

“What does that mean?” Flip chuckled, almost scared. 

“With decorations, dummy.” You snuggled up against him more. 

“What about you?” You continued to hum along to the radio.

“I don’t really do anything for the holidays, but you knew that.” Flip cleared his throat. 

“My parents were big on Hanukkah,” He tightened his grip on your shoulders, pulling you closer to him. 

“I haven’t really celebrated since they died.” Flip could feel your head move, looking over to you. 

“Do you want to celebrate it?” you questioned.

“I wish I could.” Flip took a deep breath. “It’s kinda hard celebrating on your own.” 

“I’m sorry, baby.” 

Flip shook his head, looking over to you for a second. The passing lights showed him that you were still looking at him. He chuckled, kissing your forehead again. 

“It’s okay, baby. Come back.” He nudged your shoulder a little with his hand, causing you to lay your head back against him. 

“I had fun today.” Flip smiled to himself again. He rested his head against the headrest, thinking over today. 

“Thank you for bringing me,” Flip whispered. He let the Christmas music fill his ears. 

He continued to drive as his mind wandered, imagining Christmas morning with you. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> email: spookydal8@gmail  
> twitter/insta: spookydal_  
> tik tok: spookydal


	25. Surprise, surprise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello beautiful people!!! This was supposed to go up on Friday, but I'm sure you guys won't complain about that... 
> 
> Hope you enjoy your dose of our mans,  
> -Dal

You couldn’t help the groan that left your mouth as Flip’s phone rang. He wasn’t far behind to groan with you as his hand patted his bedside table, trying to find the source of the ringing. 

“Goddammit.” He mumbled under his breath as he finally grabbed his phone. 

“Hello?” You could hear his sleepy voice as he answered the phone. You turned over and opened your eyes, squinting at the light shining through the window. You took a deep breath, trying to gather as much energy as you could. 

“What’s up, Chief?” Flip’s voice was more alert now. 

Your hands reached up to your shoulders, rubbing the stiffness as you stood up from the bed. Flip stayed quiet on the phone as you walked out of the room and down the stairs. You cleared your throat, twisting your face. You needed water to help with your dry throat. 

You stumbled around in the kitchen, pouring a glass of water. You took a few sips before walking back up the stairs. By the time you made it to the top, you could hear the water turn on in the bathroom, telling you that Flip was getting ready for something. 

“Baby?” Flip’s voice echoed in the bathroom. You walked into the bedroom as you yawned. You set your glass of water on your bedside table, before walking into the bathroom.

“Yeah?” You squinted your eyes, adjusting to the brightness. 

“They’re making me go to work, so you’re gonna be by yourself today.” You could hear the annoyance in Flip’s voice as he stepped over to you. Your eyes adjusted on his bare chest. His pebbled nipples told you that he was cold. 

He wrapped his arms around you, pulling you against his chest. You laid your head against his chest, hearing the soft thumps of his heartbeat against his sternum. You couldn’t help the smile forming on your face. It’s been a good two weeks since either of you have been to work. Flip told them he had a family emergency, while you worked out your vacation hours with Walter. You knew he wanted to spend one more day with you before going back to your hectic schedules. 

“I’ll be okay, baby.” You lifted your head off his chest, looking up at him. You could tell he was still annoyed as he leaned down, kissing your forehead. 

“I won't.” he pouted. “I’m gonna miss you all day.” His arms around you got a little tighter as he looked down at you. 

“Come take a shower with me.” Flip leaned his head down, planting a quick peck on your lips. “Send me to work in a good mood.” He smirked. 

You couldn’t help but roll your eyes at him, laughing. You, of course, nodded your head eagerly. Flip smirked down at you, helping you take off his flannel on you. You felt goosebumps spread across your skin when the morning chill hit it. 

He pushed the curtain back, holding it open for you to step in. You had your arms wrapped around yourself until the hot water massaged your skin. You rolled your head letting the water loosen your stiff muscles. 

You heard the shower curtain slide closed as Flip stepped in, hovering over you. He immediately wrapped his arms around your waist, stepping closer to let the hot water warm the both of you up. 

“I’m gonna miss you today.” You whispered as you tilted your head back, wetting your hair. You felt your hair stick to your back as Flip leaned forward, leaving kisses from your forehead down to your neck. 

“I’m gonna miss you too, baby.” He whispered against your skin. 

You were sad to see him go, but you didn’t want to admit you wanted him out of the house. It was the perfect opportunity to surprise him. You knew he would be miserable at work after your stay-cation, but it would be worth it if he would come home to what you were going to do. 

You were planning on decorating the place for the holidays. You were excited, not only to hang up Christmas decorations, but you were planning on surprising him with something else. 

You were going to celebrate Hanukkah with him. It obviously wasn’t your tradition, but it was something you wanted to do with him. You could sense the sadness in his voice as he explained to you that he stopped celebrating after his parents died. 

_ “It’s kinda hard celebrating on your own.”  _

You were excited that he didn’t have to be alone to celebrate anymore. 

“I’m gonna think about you non-stop.” Flip squeezed your bottom, leaning down more to kiss along your collarbone. You felt one of his hands loosen, leaning over to grab the shampoo bottle. He was still kissing you, but him leaning over caused his lips to travel lower to your breasts. 

“You’re gonna be distracted all day then.” You giggled as you watched him squeeze a dollop of shampoo in his hand. His lips lost contact with you as he handed you the bottle. You smiled up at him, following his actions. He rubbed his hands together before running his fingers through your hair. 

You watched as he shut his eyes as you rubbed your fingers in circles in his hair. You laughed at the fact that you kept losing your balance, trying to reach the top of his head. His mouth curved into a smile, bending at his knees so you can reach. 

A giggle slipped your lips as he slid his hands down your back, satisfied with how soapy he got your hair. 

“I expect you in our bed when I come home.” You could have sworn you heard him growl as he leaned his head in. 

“Naked.” He mumbled against your lips before pressing his mouth into yours. You were quick to shove your tongue past his lips, kissing him deeply. 

You couldn’t help the moan that slipped your lips as he pressed his hips into you. You could feel his length dragging along your inner thigh. He took a step forward, letting the water hit your hair. You pulled away from the kiss, tilting your head back. You felt as his hands rubbed around in your hair, getting rid of all the bubbles from your hair. 

When he was satisfied, he pulled on your hips. 

“My turn.” His voice was low as he guided your hips, switching positions with you. You ran your hands up and down his chest as you watched him tilt his head back. You couldn’t stop the smile on your face, knowing that you were too short to reach his hair. You were mesmerized by him, counting the beauty marks on his face. You got up to twenty before he tilted his head back down to you. 

He pouted his lips as he stared down at you. His gaze switched back and forth between your eyes as he pulled your full hips closer to him. 

“I love you.” His stoic statue stayed the same as his eyes were still switching. You flashed him a smile, reaching up to the back of his head, playing with the wet ends of his hair. 

“I love you too, baby,” you whispered back, feeling small under his gaze. 

You took a deep breath, knowing that you were going to miss him too. But you knew the joy on his face would be worth it when he saw the surprise you had for him. Being naked in your shared bed would definitely be the cherry on top. 

“So much.” You finished your thought, pulling his head closer to you. You could see a smile form on his lips before wrapping his arms around you. He pulled you into a sloppy kiss, already feeling the desperation for you. 

“Turn. Around.” He mumbled between kisses. You bit down on his bottom lip before listening to his commands, causing a grunt to leave his throat. 

“That’s my girl.” He leaned in, whispering loudly in your ear. Your entire body was heated with his words. You shut your eyes remembering all the times he said that to you before. 

You kept your eyes shut, focusing on every movement of his hands. They started on your full hips, pressing his fingertips in. You could tell he was going to leave a bruise if he pressed any harder. His hands then moved to your curves, rubbing them up and down slowly. His lips were still at your ear, biting your earlobe softly. You could feel your legs start to tremble as one of his hands snaked around to your folds, slipping a finger into your entrance. 

A moan slipped your lips as you reached your hands out, grabbing the shower wall. You tried to stabilize yourself since your legs wouldn’t stop shaking. Your head fell back onto his chest as he pumped his finger in and out. 

“I’m gonna think about this all day.” He grunted in your ear, moving his finger to circle around your bundle of nerves. 

“Baby…” That was all that you could say. You could imagine him staying at his desk to hide his hard-on most of the day. You couldn’t help the laugh that slipped your lips as you imagined him. 

“Oh, is that funny?” You could hear the smile in his words as his fingers danced around your clit faster. 

You inhaled a gasp as your mouth hung open with pleasure. 

You rocked your head against his chest, trying to tell him no. His other hand wrapped around you, grabbing at your full breast, keeping his speed around your clit. 

“This is what I’m gonna imagine while I’m at work.” His breath hit your ear, sending shivers down your spine. 

“Flip!” You shouted. Your fingernails were scratching at the tile, losing yourself on his finger. You could feel the pressure start to build, clouding your mind. 

“I’m gonna make you cum more than once.” His tongue grazed your ear as he circled on your clit faster. 

“ _ Fuck! _ ” You exclaimed, dropping your head. Your legs were turning into jello as you watched his hand work on you. 

“Give me something to think about while I’m all alone at work. Missing you so much…” He bit at your earlobe again, sending shockwaves throughout your entire body. His moans filled your ears as he whispered your name over and over again. 

“Come on, baby.” His hand gripped your breast. “Cum for me, and only me.” He adjusted his finger, hitting a brand new spot of pleasure. 

“Only y-you,” You stuttered. He could tell your legs were getting weak as he let go of your breast, wrapping his arm around your waist to hold you up. You couldn’t help the profanities shouted from your mouth as you rocked your hips, riding his hand. You need just a little more friction against your bundle of nerves to take you over the edge. 

“Flip!” You could hear your voice echo in the bathroom as you heard his chuckle fill your ears. You felt your eyes flutter until they shut closed. You couldn’t help the smile forming on your face as you felt your body jerk, screaming his name over and over again.

“Oh, fuck…” He moaned. “I love it when you say my name, baby.” Flip pulled his hand away from your entrance, turning you around to face him. 

“Baby…” You whimpered. You were still coming down from your high when he pressed your back against the tile. 

“We’re not done yet.” He growled at you as he leaned his head forward. “I want you to miss me today.” His lips grazed yours as he spoke. You couldn’t summon up any words as he bent down, wrapping his arms around your thighs. You felt goosebumps spread across your body as the cold tile was dragged against your skin. He picked you up, tapping your bottom. You wrapped your legs around his waist at his quiet command. 

“That’s my girl,” Flip grunted as he led the head of his dick to your entrance. 

“I want you to think about how I made you cum more than once today.” He snapped his hips, shoving himself into your folds. You whimpered with the pleasurable pain you got from it. 

“You get me so hot, baby.” Flip moaned as he bent his head, resting his forehead against your shoulder. 

“I can’t get enough of you.” He dragged his length slowly before snapping his hips to force himself into you again, causing you to shout in pleasure. 

“I- _ fuck _ ,” Flip bit down on your shoulder as he dragged himself out again. “I want you to know what you do to me.” 

This time he slowly pushed himself in, stretching you out properly. You wrapped your arms around his broad shoulders, scratching at his skin. Your mind was starting to cloud up again, feeling every last inch of him. 

“I love you so much.” He grunted before biting at your shoulder again. You could feel his teeth break your skin as he slowly thrust his hips again. 

“I don’t want you to forget that.” His hips picked a steady rhythm up as he pumped in and out of you. 

“Fuck, baby.” You moaned loudly, leaning your head against his. “I love you, too.” You couldn’t stop the moans slipping from your mouth as your hand found itself tangling in his hair again. You tugged hard, lifting his head. You looked into his eyes before pressing your lips against his. The kiss was sloppy, bumping into his teeth now and again, but you didn’t care. He didn’t either. All that mattered was that you two were together. No one else in the world existed at this moment. 

“Fuck!” He shouted, pulling away from the kiss to catch his breath. His hips gained speed as he looked over to you, staring. 

“Touch yourself.” He grunted. “Get yourself off.” He ordered. He snapped his hips, causing your walls to clench around him. 

“I want to see you cum all over me.” A grunt ripped from his throat. “I want to see you cum. I want to think about it all day, baby.” He leaned his head over, kissing your neck up and down. 

“Will you do that for me?” He stared over to you again as he picked his head up. 

You couldn’t form words so you settled on unwrapping one of your arms from his shoulders, slipping your hand between your bodies. You struggled to keep your eyes open as your fingers danced circles around your clit. You could feel your body contorting with each circle you took with your fingers. You were already overstimulated, desperately wanting to rip your hand away, but you didn’t want to disappoint him. 

You wanted him to have this image in his head while working before he came home to do it all over again. 

“F-Flip!” you shouted as his hips snapped harder, causing your fingers to rub against your clit harder. 

“That’s right, baby.” He moaned as he looked down. Not only was he watching you take his dick, but also your hand. 

“I want you to scream my name. I want you to think about this all fucking day, baby.” Flip’s voice cracked as his hips stuttered for a moment. He grunted loudly, before snapping his hips harder against you. 

“Baby, I’m gonna-” 

“ _ Fffuucckkk!!”  _ Flip shouted, dipping his head into the crook of your neck. You could feel his hips stutter to a stop as you circled on your clit more. You were so close. 

“Flip!” You shouted over and over. You lifted your eyebrows as you felt a sense of clarity around you and him. Your body trembled as you lost yourself in the amount of pleasure he was bringing you. 

“I love you.” You whimpered over and over, trying to catch your breath. You got lost in his eyes as you repeated it. You couldn’t help yourself… You really meant it. 

You loved him. 

It was a good minute of you two catching your breath before he slipped his soft dick out of your folds. He lifted his head to plant another kiss on you before setting your feet back on the floor of the shower. You still had your back against the tile as you took a couple of deep breaths. Flip pressed his lips against yours. You could feel them buzzing as he hummed to himself. 

“Fuck, I love you so much.” You whispered as his arms wrapped around you. You looked up, noticing the huge smile on his face. 

“I love you too, baby.” He tucked a wet strand of hair behind your ear. “I really am going to miss you.” He whispered, stroking his thumb against your cheek. 

“I’m gonna miss you.” You smiled up at him. “The day will be over before you know it, though.” 

  
  


You couldn’t help but feel your excitement grow as you kissed him 30 minutes later, sending him off to work. You had most of the Christmas decorations you needed from your old place. You had them stored in your new garage after you moved in. You sang along to Christmas music as you started decorating. 

You set up the Christmas tree next to his mantle, having enough room between the tree and fireplace. You took your time as you hung your ornaments, one by one. They were all ones you’ve collected over the years. You bit on your lip, thinking that you and Flip needed to pick one out this year. 

The only thing that took the most time was untangling the lights. You had lights for the tree with just enough to spare to hang on the walls, lighting up the entire living room. 

You took a step back, crossing your arms over your chest. You couldn’t help the smile that formed on your lips. It was all starting to come together. You hummed along to the next Christmas song, moving on to your next task. 

You pulled out your red and white pillows, laying them across Flip’s boring couch. The pillows definitely made it more festive in the room. 

You rummaged around in the few remaining boxes you had left. You pulled out a wreath, almost taking up the entire box. You didn’t want to hang it on the door, considering it would automatically ruin the surprise when he came home, but you decided it would be okay to hang up anyway. You grabbed the hook on the bottom of the box, hanging it up. The gold and white ribbon wrapped around the wreath was still lively after sitting in that box all year. 

When you closed the door, walking back into the living room, you looked into the last box that you had. It was various tinsel and figurines that would most likely stay in the box. You looked around the room, making a mental shopping list with everything you still needed to get. 

You were quick to clean up your mess, moving the boxes back into the garage. You grabbed your purse along with your new set of house keys, locking the door behind you as you left. 

It took you a good few hours to get everything you needed. You thought you were doing well on time, considering you didn’t know the first thing about Hanukkah. You felt embarrassed since you went to a party store, not knowing the first place to go. You were grateful that the cashier was very nice, giving you information about the holiday and where to pick up the items you needed. 

When you were done setting everything up, you sat on the couch, taking one last look at everything. You smiled to yourself trying to think how Flip would react. By the time he came home, the sun would be set. The lights would be the first thing he would notice. 

You could imagine cuddling up on the couch as he explained Hanukkah to you. The traditions he would do with his parents and stories from when he was growing up. You could see it now. The twinkle in his eyes from the lights. 

You then looked over to the tree, already wanting to fill the emptiness with presents. You imagined Flip would be a horrible shopper, not knowing what to give you. You laughed to yourself, thinking how cute he would be in a holiday sweater, drinking egg nog or his choice of beer. 

You fidgeted with the chain around your neck as you got lost in your thoughts, pressing the EKG between your fingers. You never took it off. It stayed on you, just like how Flip stayed by your side for the last couple of weeks. You hummed to yourself. 

You really did miss him. 

You bit on the inside of your cheek, wondering. Was he thinking about you? More specifically, was he thinking about your fun in the shower this morning? You took a deep breath, trying not to get yourself worked up over it. 

You laid your head back against the couch as you imagined his words echoing in the shower.

_ “I expect you in our bed when I come home… Naked.”  _

You licked your lips as you replayed the rest of the shower in your mind. The man was going to be the death of you… 

You took a shaky breath in, shaking the thoughts out of your mind. You looked over to the clock hanging on the wall. 2:45 in the afternoon. He was probably tiring himself out thinking about this morning, over and over again. You figured he needed something to push past the lull of the day. You pushed yourself off the couch, once again grabbing your keys and purse. 

It’s been forever since you went to the station, visiting Flip. You figured this would be the perfect opportunity. You could check on Ron too. It’s been a while since you’ve seen him or Jen, but you figured he was back at work. 

You fidgeted with the waveform around your neck at the stoplights, waiting for the green light to turn into the station. Two coffees were sitting in the cup holders. One for Flip, one for Ron. You got yourself one, but you were finished with it by the time you were down the street. 

You hummed along to a Christmas song stuck in your head. You were walking towards the station with the cups in your hand when you heard someone calling your name. You looked up, being yanked from your thoughts. 

“Hey, girl!” Carly was holding the front door of the station open, letting you walk in. She had the biggest grin on her face, telling you she was excited to see you. 

“Hey!” you flashed a smile over to her. 

“It’s been so long since I’ve seen you! Was Flip hiding you from us?” Carly nudged your shoulder, making you almost spill one of the coffees. You cleared your throat as you set the cups down on her desk in front of you. 

“Hectic schedules.” You turned your head, trying to find any sort of a flannel.

“They’re in the briefing room.” Carly leaned against her desk, still smiling over to you. 

“Oh-” you looked down towards the coffee cups sitting on her desk. “Do you think it’s okay if I go in there?” you questioned. You wanted to surprise him, but not if he was doing important work. 

“Oh, yeah!” Carly waved her hand, dismissing your thoughts. “They’re just doing a bunch of paperwork!” 

“Here.” Carly walked over towards the door that led into the rest of the building. She held it open, clearing the way for you. 

“Down the hall.” She flashed one last smile over to you as you walked past the threshold. 

“Thanks.” You muttered before looking around. You wish the place seemed more familiar to you, but it’s been months since Flip brought you here. You continued to walk, wishing she told you more detailed directions. 

“ _ Oof- _ Sorry.” 

You were quick to apologize after bumping into someone. It was a man in his 60’s, with short white hair. He was in a regular police uniform, but all the stripes on his shoulders told you he was a higher ranking. The badge pinned onto his uniform read ‘ _ Bridges.’ _

“Excuse me.” His deep voice caught you off guard as you watched him hold his hands out, ready to catch the coffees in your hand. 

“Can I help you with something, ma’am?” His eyes made a direct gaze towards the chain around your neck, carefully studying it. 

“Yes, actually.” You turned your head once again looking for the familiar flannel. 

“I’m looking for Flip.” You watched as his eyes blinked up at you, staring into your eyes. Almost like he’s seen you before and he was trying to put his finger on where… 

“And you are?” He tilted his head, crossing his arms over his chest. You spoke your name softly as you stared back at him.

“Flip’s girlfriend.” 

You watched as the man in front of you squinted his eyes, still staring at you. 

“The nurse.” His voice got deeper as his jaw clenched. You were taken aback by this, almost feeling like you were in trouble. 

“Yeah…” You trailed off, not knowing where he was going with this. 

“How long have you been together exactly?” His jaw clenched again. 

“Uh…” You shook your head. “A few months I guess, why?” You honestly didn’t know why that mattered. 

“Wait here, please.” His deep voice ripped you from your thoughts as he flashed an ingenuine smile towards you. 

“Okay…” You turned your head as he walked down the hall a little more, turning into one of the rooms to the right. You rolled your eyes. Of course, he was that close... You blindly walked forward as you followed the man. 

“Zimmerman.” The quiet deep voice that was just talking to you was now shouting across the room. You could see Flip’s back facing you as he was sitting on a table, looking through a case file. You watched as he turned his head, looking over to the man in the uniform trying to get his attention. You couldn’t help but flash him a smile, hoping he would see you. 

“Yes, chief?” A wrinkle formed in between his eyebrows, looking at only the chief. You felt yourself pouting since he didn’t notice you standing there. 

“How’s the Kronos case coming?” You silently stood at the doorway watching as the chief crossed his arms over his chest. 

“Nothing has changed since the last time you asked me that.” You watched as Flip turned his head, going back to what he was doing before. 

“Stallworth.” The chief turned his head. “Do you think Zimmerman is taking this case seriously?” 

“Uh-Yes, sir…” You could hear Ron trail off, looking over to Flip. You nor Ron knew where this was going. 

“See, I don’t think he is.” You bit down on your lip watching as the chief tilted his head over to Flip again. 

You felt bad standing there, feeling like Flip was going to get chewed out. You still didn’t know why, though. 

“What are you talking about, chief?” Flip turned back towards the man in uniform, once again not noticing you. 

“Didn’t I tell you to stay away from that girl?” The chief shouted.

You felt your breath stifle at that question. Your mind started racing at that point. Was he talking about you? If so, why did he want Flip to stay away from you? You blinked away the anxious feeling building in your gut. There was probably a logical explanation for this… 

“What?” Flip sat up a little straighter. 

“The nurse.” The chief shouted again. You could feel the anxiety building, feeling your heart racing against your chest. He was definitely talking about you. 

“You’re dating her, aren’t you?” The chief took a step, getting closer to Flip. You could see Flip’s jaw clenching from here, not wanting to answer. You could hear your heart pounding in your ears as your grip around the coffee cups grew tighter. 

“Why is she in the front looking for you?” 

You ducked out of the way when you heard this, hiding next to the entrance on the other side. You didn’t want him to see you. You needed to hear his answer. 

“Listen, Chief,” You could hear Flip stand up from the desk he was sitting on. “I can explain.” 

The entire room was quiet considering there had to be at least 15 other detectives in there. You shut your eyes and held your breath, trying to hear as well as you could. 

“It’s for the case.” Flip’s voice was lower. You could tell he didn’t want you hearing, even though he thought you were still in the front. You tried to stay strong… You really did. But you couldn’t help the tears that were forming in your eyes. You felt your lip tremble, trying to take a deep breath. You hoped you could remain calm. 

You wanted to leave, run away before you heard any more of his explanation. To salvage what you could in your relationship. 

“For the case?” The chief questioned. 

“Yes.” Flip’s words were daggers to your heart as you stood there. You failed yourself feeling tears start to roll down your cheeks.

“And I’m supposed to believe that?” The chief chuckled to himself. 

“Of course,” Flip’s words were stern. 

“This is about an investigation, not a relationship.” The man you loved with your entire heart shattered you completely with those words. His voice was so… confident. The way he was saying it made you believe that it was true. 

“It’s going to help me solve it, chief.” Flip took a deep breath. “It’s the only reason why she’s still around.” 

You pressed your hand against your mouth, trying to muffle the sobs. No wonder he would never let you come to the station. All those times he worked overtime… It all made sense now. He was trying to hide you from his chief. You wanted to believe that he was lying… You really did. 

All the times he went out of his way to prove himself to you. All the times he was sweet to you… they were all lies. You couldn’t help the sobs leaving your mouth as you threw the coffee cups in the trash can next to you.

“Well, why don’t you go tell her that yourself… She’s waiting for you.” The chief chuckled again. 

You felt your heart stop at his words. You couldn’t remember when, but you found yourself speed walking back towards the front. There was no way in hell you wanted to talk to Flip right now. The thumps of your feet pounding against the ground almost did the job of drowning everything out. Almost. 

You could hear Flip calling your name from behind you, which ultimately made you walk faster. The cold air slapped your face as you finally made it outside. The light at the end of the tunnel was getting closer and closer as you approached your car. You were so close to getting out of here. You let out another sob realizing you had nowhere to go. Your place was his place now.

That didn’t matter, though. You just needed to get to your car and drive… you were  _ so  _ close.

And Flip ruined the only good thing going for you. 

You could hear his boots hitting the pavement as he jogged up to you. His hand grabbed your arm, stopping you in your tracks. You hid your face as your body was yanked in his direction. 

“How much did you hear?” Flip’s voice cracked as the grip on your arm grew tighter. You squeezed your eyes shut when his hand gripped your jaw, pulling you to look at him. 

“Please, baby…” He tried to wrap his arms around you, but you shoved him away. 

“Don’t you ever call me that again.” You spat as you finally got the courage to look up at him. Your vision was distorted as tears were still falling from your eyes. You flinched when he whispered your name. 

“Please…” He pleaded. “I was lying to him,” Flip tried reaching out to you again but you took a step back, rejecting him. 

“I didn’t mean those things.” 

You watched as his bottom lip trembled, retracting his arm away from you. 

“You have to believe me, baby.” 

You took a shaky breath in, as you tried to turn away from him. 

“Please!” Flip grabbed your arm again. You bit your lip, trying to hold back the sobs coming from your mouth.

“I love you, baby.” 

You could have sworn you saw a tear roll down his face. You weren’t sure since you squeezed your eyes shut, turning your head away from him again.

It was quiet after that. He didn’t say anything else to you, hoping that was going to make everything magically better. You didn’t even hear the wind blowing or the trees rustling. No passing cars to fill the void. No flies buzzing in the air around you or people walking down the street. 

There was nothing… Until you finally spoke.

“I hate you.” 

You yanked your arm from his grip as you walked towards your car again. Your hand shook as you reached into your bag, fishing your keys out. The silence told you that he didn’t move. He just stood there watching you as you walked away from him. You didn’t even bother looking back at him because you meant what you said. 

You hated him. 

You repeated this in your mind as you started your car and drove. You couldn’t go home. Correction: His home. You didn’t want to go back there. You didn’t need to add to the heartbreak. You felt disgusted with yourself… How could you have let it get this far? He lied to you after all this time, and you were too blind to see it. Did he ever really love you? Did he ever want to be with you? Was he only with you for his fucking case? What a fucking asshole.

You drove in silence, only hearing your sobs. 

What were you going to do? 

Where were you going to go? 

You settled on grabbing your phone, tapping on the screen a few times until you heard ringing. 

_ “Hello?”  _

“Jen…” you cried. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Flip sat at his desk slamming another cigarette into his ashtray. The collection was growing fast since you left. He tried calling you. He tried texting you. Nothing. He took a deep breath, trying to stay calm. He hoped you went home to cool off. At least enough to have a conversation with him when he got off. 

He desperately hoped you would stay long enough to hear his explanation… To prove to you that he really loved you. 

It’s been hours since you walked out of the station. Hours since he practically heard your heart shatter. He hoped you would forgive him… Even if he would never forgive himself. 

_ How could I be so stupid?  _

Flip repeated this to himself over and over. Every time he shut his eyes he saw you standing there. Your cries echoed in his mind, making him cringe. The tears falling down your cheeks ached him. 

Flip could tell Ron wanted to console him but just didn’t know-how. Ron settled in at his desk.

“I’ll be here if you need me,” Ron whispered. That was the only thing that was spoken between the two. 

Flip felt his lip tremble as he lit another cigarette. He took a long drag as he imagined you crying again. Your words haunting him. 

_ “I hate you.” _

Flip jumped in his seat as he heard Ron’s phone ringing behind him. Flip exhaled the smoke through his nose as he felt a sense of guilt building.

“Hey, baby.” Ron’s voice was quiet. He cringed at the name ‘baby.’

_ “Don’t you ever call me that again.”  _ Replayed in his mind.

Flip shut his eyes, trying to imagine this morning. Everything was fine. He woke up next to you. You were happy. You were in love with him. 

All of that was down the drain and all because of his stupidity. 

“Woah Woah Woah, calm down…. Just breathe.” Ron’s responses caused Flip to scrunch his face in confusion. 

“What?” Ron’s voice was a little louder. “When did she call you?” 

Flip never turned around so fast in his life. He got out from his chair, rushing over to Ron’s desk. 

“Are you sure?” Ron looked over to Flip, concern filling his face. He was quiet for a moment as he hesitated. 

Ron gulped before handing over the phone to Flip. 

“It's Jen,” Ron whispered. “She wants to talk to you.” 

Flip felt his heart stop. This couldn’t be good. Jen was already weary of him… This certainly wasn’t going to help. Flip swallowed the lump in his throat as he grabbed the phone from Ron. He was fully expecting a lecture being yelled at him. But instead, he heard something else. Jen worried. 

_ “Flip?”  _ Jen’s voice came through the phone. It was quiet. Shaky, even. 

“Y-Yeah,” Flip responded. He looked up at Ron when she spoke your name through the phone. 

_ “She… She called me and told me what happened,”  _

Flip could hear her take a shaky breath in.

_ “She told me she was coming over. She didn’t want to go back to your place…” _

“Okay…” Flip took a deep breath through his nose. He could already feel his heartbreaking.

_ “That was four hours ago… Her phone is off and I don’t know where she is.”  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> what did you guys think? ;) 
> 
> tik tok: spookydal  
> twitter/instagram: spookydal_  
> email: spookydal8@gmail


	26. Haunted

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> you guys okay? you guys strapped in? 
> 
> okay good... let's go.   
> -dal

Flip didn’t know what to do with himself. Specifically, he didn’t know where to start. He had a gut feeling that something bad happened, but he didn’t need to get ahead of himself… Not yet. 

“Is there anywhere else she could have gone?” Flip paced back and forth as he shouted into the phone.

_ “I don’t know! I just know she told me she was heading straight to my place!” _ Jen shouted back. 

“Fuck.” Flip muttered. He lifted his hand to his mouth taking another drag of his cigarette. 

_ “You sound worried… do you think something happened to her?”  _ Jen’s voice was muffled. Flip imagined her biting her nails. 

“I don’t know. Here.” Flip handed the phone back to Ron as he started walking. 

“Baby, I’ll call you in a little. Let me know if you hear from her.” Ron hung up the phone, following Flip. 

“What do you think, man?” Ron was out of breath trying to keep up with Flip. 

“I don’t know… I don’t know.” Flip repeated. The only thing he could focus on was walking. One step in front of the other. He didn’t really know where he was going, but he couldn’t stay there. 

“Where the fuck do we keep the security footage?!” Flip shouted, stopping in his tracks. He couldn’t focus, not with his heart pounding in his ears. 

“Follow me.” Ron picked his pace up, walking in front of Flip. He took a couple of turns, leading him to the elevator. Flip shut his eyes, trying to get his breathing under control. 

“Come on.” Ron waved his hand over once they made it to the basement. 

Flip blindlessly followed him as they walked up to a room at the end of the hall. When Ron opened the door, Flip pushed past him. The only source of light coming from the room was from a bunch of TV’s, showing a live stream of around the station. There was a man sitting at a desk in front of the TV’s reading a newspaper. 

“I need to see some footage from earlier today.” Flip practically slammed his hands down on his table. 

“You need authorization from the chief.” The man sitting at the desk didn’t even turn his head, barely acknowledging Flip. 

Flip looked down at the nameplate sitting on the desk.  _ ‘Kevin’  _ was engraved onto the piece of wood in front of him. 

“I don’t have time for that,” Flip growled. 

“Come back with the chief’s approval.” Kevin flipped the page, not lifting his eyes. 

“Listen, Kevin. I could give two shits about the chief right now.” Flip snatched the newspaper out of his hands, finally getting a reaction out of him. 

Kevin flinched as he turned his head to look at the two men standing over him. 

“Come on, man. Just this once.” Ron whispered. 

Kevin shook his head as he sat up in his chair, grabbing a computer mouse in his hands. 

“Fine, but if the chief is out for blood, I’m sending him to you two.” 

Flip watched as he clicked a few times before turning his head over to him. 

“When and where do you want?” Kevin sighed. 

“The briefing room.” Flip gulped. “About four hours ago.” 

Flip could feel his heart race as he watched the screens in front of him rewind. 

“Come on…” Flip whispered to himself. 

“There!” Flip pointed. When Kevin pressed a button, playing it, he saw you standing in the doorway of the briefing room. He leaned his head in, watching as you ducked out of the way. 

Flip couldn’t hear the footage, but he cringed watching as you put your hand over your mouth. The screen was tiny, but he could tell you were crying at that point. 

“Follow her.” Flip pointed as he watched you run away, taking a deep breath. 

“And who is she?” Kevin complained. 

“Shut up, man!” Ron shouted. 

Flip clenched his jaw as he saw himself grabbing at you. His heart sank when you saw that you could barely look at him. 

“Fuck.” Flip whispered. 

_ “I hate you.” _

The room was silent but he could hear your voice yelling it to him. 

Flip watched as you grabbed your keys, walking to your car. Flip watched himself as he stood there for a moment, watching you start your car. He reimagined it as he watched it on screen. 

He couldn’t just stand there and watch you drive away, so he headed back inside… which was a huge mistake. 

“What the fuck.” Flip pointed at the screen. He watched as a black SUV sitting in the back of the parking lot drive off at the same time you did. 

“Rewind it a few seconds.” Flip nudged Kevin’s shoulder. 

Flip rolled his eyes when Kevin sighed audibly. 

“There. Play it again.” 

Flip walking away, you driving off, SUV following right behind. 

“Do you think she was being followed?” Ron whispered over. 

“I… I don’t know.” Flip muttered. “Maybe.” 

“Rewind it and find when she came to the station.” Ron was now the one nudging Kevin’s shoulder. 

“Jesus Christ.” Kevin sat up a little straighter as he realized this was something serious. He scooted his chair up, getting closer to the screen. 

It was a good minute until he hit play. 

“There.” Kevin pointed. “Her car is pulling in.” 

Flip leaned in a little closer, watching what Kevin was describing. 

“Fucking hell,” Flip muttered to himself as he noticed a black SUV pulling in right behind you. 

“Don’t touch it.” Flip held his hand out. “I want to watch it.” 

Flip swallowed the knot in his throat as he watched you. You had the biggest smile on your face, coming into the station. Two coffees in your hand.

“She was bringing coffee for us.” Flip looked over to Ron. “She wanted to surprise us.” Flip bit down on his lower lip, trying his best to stop it from trembling. 

He could tell Ron didn’t know what to do other than placing a hand over his shoulder, trying his best to console him. 

“No one ever leaves the SUV.” Kevin intervened. “They just sit there and wait for her.” 

“Fuck!” Flip took a deep breath as he watched Kevin practically jump out of his chair.

“This is all my fault… This is all my fault.” Flip repeated as he lifted his hands into his hair. He paced back and forth, shutting his eyes. He was having a hard time focusing on one thing. His mind went back and forth, seeing flashes of you crying and getting out of his hold, to the SUV following you. Flip shook his head as he stopped.

“I’m going to check Jen’s place… You check local hospitals,” Flip looked over to Ron, noticing his face of concern. 

“What?” Flip questioned. 

“Do you think she’ll be at a hospital?” Ron crossed his arms over his chest. 

“I don’t fucking know… Just fucking check it so I know she’s not there!” Flip didn’t wait for an answer as he stormed off. 

Flip could feel his blood start to boil as he got lost in the basement. He muttered profanities, wishing he paid more attention to the way they took. It wasn’t until he took a deep breath, taking a moment to chill, that he found the way out. 

“Is everything okay, Flip?” 

Flip stormed past Carly as she stood from her chair. He pushed past the front doors, running over to his truck. He didn’t have time for anything, other than to find you. 

“Please be safe,” Flip repeated this to himself as he sped down the freeway, following the GPS to Jen’s house. He heard his tires screeching against the pavement as he swerved in and out of lanes, dodging cars that were in his way. 

He hoped and even prayed that he would see you driving on the way there, but when he pulled up to Jen’s house he was disappointed. There was no sign of you. 

“Have you heard from her?” That was the first thing Jen asked when he knocked on her door. 

“No.” Flip clenched his jaw, looking around her street. He still had hope that you would turn onto her street any second.

“What way does she usually take here?” Flip turned back over to Jen. He watched as she started biting on her nails. 

“Uh… She takes the back roads.” Jen took a deep breath. “The freeway stresses her out… Hey! Where are you going?!” Jen shouted. 

Flip was already running back to his truck. He didn’t have time to sit around and talk. There was still time to figure out where you were. His tires screeched again as he whipped his truck around, heading for the back roads. Flip noticed that it was in the countryside, giving him a sense of hope.

Maybe you stopped on the side of the road to look at the scenery. Maybe you stopped for lunch on the way here and your phone died. 

He needed to stay optimistic. He didn’t want to assume the worst when you were probably enjoying yourself to calm your nerves. 

Flip held his breath as he saw a car parked on the side of the road. The closer it got, the more familiar it was. It was definitely your car sitting there. Flip felt a sense of relief as he pressed on his breaks, stopping next to your car. 

He looked around as he got out. He didn’t see anyone in sight… Not a good sign, but Flip was going to stay positive.

He walked up to the passenger’s side of the car. Nothing out of the ordinary… until he walked over to the driver’s side. 

The little hope that Flip was hanging onto went out the window when he saw the driver’s side completely scratched up with black paint. It was just enough where you probably pulled over, waiting to see if the other car was okay… He knew that about you. You would see if the others were okay before anything else. 

The driver’s window was shattered, glass laying all over the road. He stopped in his tracks when he saw some sort of liquid being dragged away… It led from the broken window, down to the ground, and around the car a few feet off. He took a deep breath as he tried to talk himself out of thinking it was a blood trail… Some of the glass crunched under his boot as he took another step closer, ducking his head into the now open window. 

“Oh shit.” Flip’s voice was shaky as he placed his hand over his mouth. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing. 

Broken glass was all over your seat, telling him that someone must have broken it from the outside. They wanted to get to you fast. They didn’t have the patience for you to open your door… unless you knew something was sketchy and you wouldn’t come out. For all he knew, you hit your head, and you were passed out… 

Flip then looked over to the passenger’s side. Your purse was lying on the floor with everything dumped onto the seat. There were pieces of paper, your makeup bag, and a hairbrush. No sign of your phone or you… 

Flip could feel his bottom lip trembling as he looked over to the dashboard… there were scratch marks telling him that you tried to put up a fight. Flip took a shaky breath in realizing that you lost… 

Flip almost dropped to his knees when he saw blood all over your steering wheel. This time he knew what it was for sure. It was either from the crash… or most likely from someone hitting you over the head. Maybe to knock you unconscious. 

Flip’s hand shook as he reached into his back pocket, grabbing his phone. 

“Come on…” Flip tapped his foot as the phone rang. It took a couple of rings before it picked up. 

“Any sign of her at the hospitals?” Flip didn’t even wait for Ron to respond when he answered. He ran his hand through his hair as he chewed on the inside of his cheek. 

_ “No one with her description, no…”  _ Ron trailed off.  _ “Have you found anything?”  _

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


“Are you sure it’s Kronos?” Chief Bridges sat back in his chair. 

“It has to be.” Flip couldn’t even pick his head up as he focused on his feet. 

After Flip found what was left in your car, he called the chief to let him know what was going on. Of course, he didn’t believe him, he just yelled at Flip over the phone. 

_ “I told you to stay away from her, you don’t listen to me, and you’re bringing up this bullshit?”  _ The chief scoffed. 

He finally believed him when he came to the scene himself… He immediately opened an investigation. 

“We believe she was being followed.” Ron’s voice interrupted Flip’s thoughts. 

“How so?” The chief questioned. 

Ron came prepared for this briefing, unlike Flip. He had stills of the security cameras. You pulling into the station with the SUV not far behind, and the SUV following as you drove off. 

Flip could barely pay attention to what they were saying. He tuned them out as he imagined you. Scared to death and not knowing what was going on.

He stared into the distance as he imagined you listening to one of the last things he said. 

_ “This is about an investigation, not a relationship.”  _

You had a right to hate him… He hated himself too. 

“Zimmerman!” The chief snapped his fingers, bringing Flip back into this horrible reality. “Did you hear me?” The chief’s voice was softer now… different than before. 

“No, sir… I didn’t.” Flip’s voice cracked as he looked up at his chief. He took a deep breath before he repeated himself. 

“I said I think it’s best if Ron takes on this case… It’s too personal for you.” 

Red came over Flip. His ears were hot with rage as he stood up from his chair, sliding it back to hit against the wall behind him. 

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Flip shouted. 

“I’m not just sitting around while my girl is probably being fucking tortured!” Flip slammed his fist against the chief’s desk. The chief kept his cool, trying to be sympathetic to his situation. 

“Hey, man… Calm down.” Ron whispered over to him. He stood from his chair, placing his hands over Flip’s shoulders. He knew he would do something stupid if he didn’t hold him back. 

“No, man. Fuck you!” Flip shouted again. He could feel his blood pressure rising as he heard his pulse pounding in his ears. He pushed Ron off of him, taking a step back. He tried to calm himself down… he really did, but he just imagined you tied up in some chair, being beaten to death. Probably getting cut up with Kronos’ signature. Sitting there wondering where he was and why he wasn’t helping you. Why he let you be in this shitty situation. Why he let you down.

Flip blacked out for a moment. The last thing he remembered was pacing back and forth as he tried to take deep calming breaths. The next thing he remembered was his fist going through the chief’s wall, punching a hole straight through. A few pictures hanging on the wall fell, shattering the picture frames they were in. 

“Zimmerman, I could have your badge for that shit! Sit down!” Chief Bridges shouted, standing from his chair. 

“You can stay on the case, but Ron will lead. We need a clear head on this if we’re going to find her.” The chief took a breath as Flip sat back in his chair. Flip’s elbows rested on his knees as he dropped his head down. 

“This is bullshit,” Flip muttered. 

“You’re lucky I’m not kicking you off the case, Zimmerman, so watch it.” The chief looked over to Ron. 

“You okay with leading the case, Stallworth?”

Flip was quick to grab his pack of cigarettes, lighting one up. He heard Ron’s agreements before the chief looked back over to Flip. 

“Take the rest of the day off. Come back tomorrow with a clear head.” The chief clenched his jaw. “Look at it from a detective's standpoint and not her boyfriend, you hear me?” His tone of voice was coming off as lecturing. 

Flip didn’t bother answering though. He stood from his chair again, this time walking out of the office. The station grew quiet as he walked by. Word traveled fast that he was an idiot for lying to the chief and putting a target on his girlfriend’s back. 

“Have a good night, Flip…” Carly’s voice was low and quiet. Which was new. 

Flip pushed past the front doors, letting the winter air slap his face. He struggled to unlock his car since his hands wouldn’t stop shaking. He bit down on his lip, trying his best not to cry. He hasn’t cried in years… not since his parents passed away. When he finally got into his truck he sat there for a few minutes. He tried his best to remember this morning. How you laid your head against his chest or how you smiled up at him. Telling him that you loved him over and over again as you moaned his name. The way you held onto him… 

“F-Fuck…” He breathed in sharply, trying his best to remain calm. 

There was no way he could go home… not now. Not this close to losing you. Not without a drink at least. He turned the key, letting his truck scream to life. He drove for about an hour, driving around town before finally settling on what bar to stop at.

He sat at that bar by himself, replaying everything in his mind. Picking out things he could have missed. All the times he should have noticed you were being followed, but he was too stupid to see it. Blinded by love… by happiness. He let his guard down when he was supposed to be protecting you. 

“Another one,” He hiccuped to the bartender. He added his empty beer bottle to the growing collection. 

“Don’t you think you’ve had enough?” The bartender replied. He was reluctant, but he cracked open another one and handed it over to Flip. 

“I know my limits,” Flip slurred, yanking the beer from his hand. He was too drunk to realize he spilled some on the person sitting next to him. 

“Hey, man!” A guy stood up from his stool, wiping the beer from his jeans. “Watch it!”

“You shouldn’t have been sitting so fucking close to me.” Flip chuckled as he chugged on his next beer. 

“Just be more careful.” The man settled back down onto his stool. 

Flip rolled his eyes. He almost forgot about losing you for a moment… But it all came back to him when he was alone with his thoughts again. 

“Fuck you.” Flip leaned his head over, whispering to the man next to him. He needed a distraction from his numbness. He needed to feel something again. This was the second-best thing since you weren’t there with him. 

“Babe, just leave him alone.” A woman’s voice filled Flip’s ears as the man stood back up, nudging Flip’s shoulders. 

“Are you trying to get a rise out of me, man?” 

Flip chuckled to himself again. This guy was trying to be a macho man in front of his girl. Trying to prove that he could protect her… Well, guess what… Flip thought that too. Now, look where he was. 

“What if I am?” Flip looked over as he questioned macho man. 

“Oh, you’re dead.” Macho man chuckled, pulling Flip off his stool by his flannel. 

Flip’s mind imagined you being dragged out of your car when macho man threw a punch to his face. He hit him right in the jaw, rubbing his knuckles. 

“Fucking pussy.” Flip muttered as flashes of you running away from him filled his mind. 

A punch hitting him right in his eye as he pictured all the blood in your car. 

“Is that all you got?” Flip grabbed his beer, taking another sip. Macho man grabbed the glass bottle from him, throwing it on the ground. 

“Babe, stop!” The woman’s voice barely drowned out your words echoing in his ears. 

_ “I hate you.” _

Macho punched Flip’s jaw a little harder, causing blood to spill into his mouth. 

“What the fuck?” Macho man muttered. “Why are you just taking it?” he questioned. 

“I can’t feel anything.” Flip slowly blinked, wiping blood from his mouth with the back of his hand. 

“He’s crazy.” The woman’s voice again. 

“I’m serious… I can’t feel anything.” Flip shut his eyes as his words haunted him. 

_ “This is about an investigation, not a relationship.”  _

“Hit. Me.” Flip turned his head over to spit on the ground. He blinked at it a few times noticing the blood bubbling in his saliva. He imagined your blood trail leading away from the car. 

“Hit me!” Flip shoved the guy back, feeling his hand slip off the guy’s shoulder. He was too drunk to see straight, but Flip didn’t care. He needed to feel something else other than the heartbreak of letting you down. 

In some fucked up way he thought getting his ass kicked would make up for the fact that he lost you. That you were somewhere scared and hopefully still alive. 

“Just leave him alone!” The woman shouted as macho man’s fists collided with various parts of Flip’s body. 

Flip could feel the blood pouring into his mouth as he fell onto the ground. The breath was knocked out of him as he rolled over to his side, grabbing his stomach. 

“Jesus Christ… He’s a fucking cop!” The woman yelled as she held her man back. Flip turned his head over and saw his badge on the ground next to him. It must have slipped out of his back pocket when he hit the floor. 

“I didn’t fucking know that!” Flip could hear rustling as the couple grabbed their things and ran out of the bar. 

  
  


Everything was double. The steering wheel in his hands, the lanes on the road, and the cars swerving out of his way. Flip knew he was doing a horrible job of driving home since he was drunk. It was a quiet drive, considering how busy his mind was working. Every time he closed his eyes for longer than a few seconds he saw you. He desperately wanted to remember you still being in love with him. You laughing at his jokes or just smiling up at him as you whispered his name. 

He didn’t get what he wanted though.

He only remembered you crying in front of him, cringing at his touch. He saw you shattered at his idiotic actions. He should have known better. He should have been there to protect you. 

“G-Goddammit.” 

He dropped his keys as he stepped onto his porch. He slowly bent down, being cautious not to make any sudden movements. He could already feel the alcohol twisting in his stomach. 

When he finally picked his keys up he chuckled at himself for a moment. It was the victory he needed today. He took a deep breath as he walked up to the front door. 

“What the fuck?” Flip swatted at his head. He felt something getting caught in his hair as he tried to put his key in. He was confused until he took a step back, getting a better picture of what was getting caught in his hair. 

A wreath was hanging on his door. He took another deep breath as he started to sober up at the image. He just stared at it, knowing that you put it there. He squeezed his eyes shut when he felt his eyes start to water up. 

“Don’t fucking cry.” Flip had to tell himself. He wanted to blame it on the alcohol… That was a lie though. He caught himself on the verge of tears all day when he thought of the words leaving his mouth. 

_ “This is about an investigation, not a relationship.” _

He kept his eyes on the door handle when he finally opened his eyes again. He couldn’t look at the wreath again. Not without thinking of you. 

Flip finally turned the handle after unlocking the door. He blinked a few times, wondering if he was seeing things. He was disoriented, thinking that he would be walking into pitch darkness. He rubbed his eyes as he shut the door behind him. 

He was definitely not hallucinating. Blue and white lights screamed at his vision as he took a few steps into the living room. String lights hung around the walls lighting up the room just enough for him to see everything. 

Decorative pillows laid across his couch. A Christmas tree decorated with lights and ornaments next to the fireplace. 

He could feel tears start to trickle at his eyes again when he looked over to the window. A Star of David was hung against the glass. Flip’s gaze switched over to his table in front of the window. A gold menorah sat there with a box of candles and a few dreidels next to it. 

His sniffles filled the room as he walked over, gently running his fingers over the gold metal. He couldn’t hold back the tears any longer at the sight of this. 

He dropped to his knees as his mind started to work. You were going to surprise him when he came home from work. You decorated for Christmas since it was your favorite holiday… 

His chest started to heave as he looked up at the menorah again. You knew he didn’t celebrate Hanukkah anymore, even though he wanted to. You were going to go out of your way to celebrate with him. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to forget everything except this morning. 

Flip couldn’t help the sobs ripping through his throat as he fell onto his hands. He felt so empty without you. The hardwood floor ached at his knees, but he didn’t care. He deserved to be in pain. His intoxicated mind thought this would make him feel better.

It didn’t. 

Flip squeezed his eyes shut as he thought back to this morning. He tried to hear your voice telling him that you loved him over and over again. 

He tried to ignore your cries and the picture of your blood everywhere in your car. The scratch marks on the dashboard. The broken glass. All of it. He tried his hardest to shove it to the back of his mind, trying to imagine you smiling up at him. 

He was going to hang onto that as long as he could. He curled up into a ball on the floor of the living room as he wiped his face, hoping the tears would stop soon. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay, okay... i know you guys are mad at me.... but just head over to my Ronnie fic for some serotonin... ;)
> 
> let me know what you guys think in my socials below:
> 
> twitter/insta: spookydal_  
> email: spookydal8 (gmail)  
> tik tok: spookydal


	27. Gotta stay high

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay okay... multiple people have been upset with me over these last couple of chapters... just know that Ronnie is updated to help you cope...
> 
> -dal

Flip flinched as he rubbed his eyes. Not only were they still swollen from the fight, but they were also swollen from crying. His body ached as he turned onto his back. He was still on the living room floor when he woke up. It’s been a week since you were gone, but all of his days were starting to blur together.

“Fuck.” He muttered as he pried himself off the floor. He felt his hand grabbing onto the handle of the couch, trying to stand himself up. When he finally stood on his feet, he was quick to fall onto the couch. He felt his stomach churn as the room spun.

He ran his hands through his hair, looking around the living room. All the lights were still lit, reminding him of you again. Various sheets of paper spread across the floor, since he managed to have someone drop off a case file at his front door last week. He wanted to work from home with no one to bother him as he worked. He didn’t get much done unfortunately since the words on the paper seemed to merge together. 

He sighed, looking over to the window. The Star of David hung against the glass right above the menorah. He was shocked that his eyes started to prickle with tears again, wondering how there were still tears left. 

He squeezed his eyes shut, shaking his head. It was too early for this shit. He took a deep breath, trying to gather enough energy to stand back up. He wanted to walk up the stairs and lie in his bed until you came back to him. He ran his hands through his hair, scoffing to himself. There was no way in hell he was going to bed. Not without you. 

“Fuck.” He muttered again as he finally balanced himself up. He felt his feet drag as he walked out of the living room, carefully stepping over the case file. He managed to walk over to the kitchen, opening the door to the refrigerator. 

If he couldn’t have you, what was the next best thing? 

Beer. 

He grabbed the remaining few sitting in the fridge, cracking one open immediately. He squeezed his eyes shut as he downed the first beer. He was back to sitting on the couch when he opened the next one. 

_ “This is about an investigation, not a relationship.”  _

Flip rubbed the back of his neck as he tried to stop repeating this in his mind. 

_ “It’s the only reason why she’s still around.”  _

He was done with the second bottle, tossing it on the ground.

Flip knew about heartbreak. He’s been there before. The feeling deep down of wanting to hide from the world. Not wanting to get out of bed. Not wanting to shower. 

This was different. He felt… numb. Empty. 

He couldn’t imagine his day to day without you. He already thought about you all the time even before you were gone… This just made it worse. The fact that he didn’t know if you were okay out there, killed him. 

He groaned as he bent down, picking part of the case file up. Everything he had on Kronos was either in his hand or still scattered on the floor. He tried shaking his head to focus. To be able to crack the code in finding you. To find some sort of clue in where you could be… but nothing was clicking. All he could focus on was the fact that kidnapping was something new for Kronos…. There was no telling what he would do to you.

He took a shaky breath in as he tried to shove all the bad thoughts forming in his mind. He didn’t need to think of all the things that were possibly happening to you. 

All because Flip was reckless with you. 

The fizzling bubbles filled his ears as he opened another beer, setting the case file next to him on the couch. The house was quiet but your cries echoed against the walls as he imagined your pleas. Trying to understand why you were the one they took. Why Flip was so fucking stupid in letting you be in this position. Why you felt like he didn’t love you. 

The clicking from the lighter caught his attention as he lit a cigarette in his mouth. He watched as the smoke trickled from his mouth as he looked over to the last remaining beers. He was already starting to run low on the thing that seemed to help keep his mind off of you. 

He took a long drag as he stood up, still feeling wobbly on his feet. He glanced over to the menorah shining as the sun hit it from a certain angle, having a new feeling in his chest. 

Grief. 

He stared at the menorah as he chugged the rest of his beer. His mind felt hazy, finally letting the alcohol do its job of trying to stay high. He couldn't help the feeling that he lost you forever. That there was nothing he could do to get you back.

He sighed, desperately to keep his mind off of you. Off of the things he saw, imagining the things you went through in those hours by yourself.

He shut his eyes as he heard his own voice echo in his mind. 

_ “It’s the only reason why she’s still around.”  _

Flip felt the glass bottle slip from his hands as he threw it, watching glass and beer slide down his wall. 

He couldn’t take this anymore. He felt the back of his throat burn as he took another long inhale of his cigarette. His feet shuffled as he walked out of the house and towards his truck. The few beers he had wasn’t doing the job of forgetting. 

  
  
  


“I think you’ve had enough already, buddy.” The man at the register was squinting his eyes, trying to get a good feel for Flip. 

Flip felt numb as he drove over to the nearest liquor store. He put a case of beers, a carton of cigarettes, and a couple of bottles of whiskey on the counter as he watched the man eyeing him. 

“I don’t think it matters what you think,” Flip grabbed his wallet from his back pocket, throwing a couple of twenty-dollar bills on the counter. 

“Keep the change.” Flip hiccupped as he watched the man bag his items. 

Flip sighed as he looked down at his wallet still in his hands. He practically emptied his wallet trying to keep you off his mind. To forget that he was missing you so fucking much. To forget the heartbreak. The images flashing in his mind over and over again. His words haunting him on repeat. 

_ “It’s the only reason why she’s still around.” _

Flip opened the bottle of whiskey as he sat in his truck. He couldn’t even wait until he drove home to open it. His mind hazed over as he took a couple of sips, feeling the burn slide down his throat. There was a moment where he didn’t see flashes of you in his mind. A moment where he forgot his pain. Nothing bad happened to you and you didn’t hate him. You were safe.

That moment didn’t last long, though.

Flashes of your blood in your car haunted his mind as he started his truck. Hearing the ignition come to life. 

_ “I hate you.”  _ echoed in his mind as he swerved in and out of his lane. He felt his eyes water as he took another sip of his whiskey, hearing the passing cars honk at him. 

He placed the bottle in between his legs, looking over to the empty seat for a moment. Memories of Thanksgiving flooded his mind as he remembered you lying against him. He was swerving his car then too, only this time he was too drunk to keep his steering wheel straight. 

He remembered holding you against him as you slept, your soft snores filling his truck. He felt his lip start to tremble when his hand shook to grab his pack of cigarettes. He felt the sting in his eyes as the smoke filled his surroundings. A few tears fell down his cheeks as he pulled into the driveway. 

_ “It’s the only reason why she’s still around.”  _

This repeated in his mind as he stumbled through the front door. 

He almost fell over as he kicked the door shut with his foot. He took a moment to compose himself as he walked back into the living room. The blue and white lights screamed at him as he settled back onto the floor. There was a moment where he looked at the case file, staring at your name that was written on the top. He grabbed the piece of paper, along with the photo stills from the security footage. He squinted his eyes and he brought one of the photos up, trying to catch what little detail he could. He sighed when he noticed the windows were tinted, not even showing a shadow of the driver. 

He set the papers down as he leaned against the couch. He brought the case of beers into his lap, ripped open the box. He watched as they rolled around the room, groaning that he had to reach to grab one. The fizzing noise preoccupied his mind as he looked over to the Christmas tree, chugging on the beer. 

Each ornament was placed there carefully by you. He shut his eyes imagining you. He could see it now. 

You would occasionally take a step back, tilting your head to get a good look at the tree. Everything had to be perfect. You took your time as you carefully placed each ornament on a branch. 

“F-Fuck.” Flip whimpered. He knew you were happy as you decorated the tree. You were waiting to see how he would react to seeing the place all festive. Flip normally didn’t care for this type of stuff. He usually worked on the holidays and did nothing to celebrate. Ron could occasionally get him to grab a plate of food, but that was about it. He had nobody for the holidays and he had to deal with that. It was just like any other day. 

His mindset changed when he met you. 

He wanted to be home and celebrate the holidays with you. He wanted to cuddle against you as you two sat next to the fireplace. He would fight with the chief to get the day off, that way you didn’t have to visit your family alone. Hell, he would even be okay with watching Christmas movies. He didn’t care what he did on the holidays, as long as you were next to him. 

Flip threw his empty can as he reached over, cracking open another one. His mind wandered to Thanksgiving again. 

_ “I don’t think I’ve ever seen her so happy.”  _ It all flooded back to him as he remembered standing in the kitchen with your mom. He remembered seeing the smile on your face as you noticed he was looking over to you. 

Flip ran his hand through his hair, kicking off his boots. He groaned as he sunk a little lower onto the floor. Both his hands worked as they switched between bringing the can of beer and a cigarette to his mouth. They were the only thing going into his system as he leaned his head back onto the couch. 

He would turn his head every now and again, looking at the file. It was one of his tactics when he was trying to solve a difficult case. Sometimes something would just jump out of him, causing everything to make sense. 

He was getting irritated that it has happened yet with this case… Especially when he needed it the most. 

Once his cigarette ended he would then go to his phone, staring at the pictures of you two on Thanksgiving. He zoomed in, noticing how happy you were that day. The look on your face said it all. He studied how you leaned against him, smiling. He knew that you weren’t just smiling for the picture. You were happy and in love. It was before Flip fucked up though.

How could he have been so blind to not notice that you were being followed? There had to be signs that he missed. Did  _ you  _ even notice you were being followed? He shut his eyes as he imagined the SUV following you on the security tapes. He took pride in how good of a detective he was. He thought he was one of the best. He also thought he could protect you on his own, and look how well that turned out. 

He puffed on his cigarette as he downed the rest of the beer in his hand. He heard the metal hit against each other as he tossed the empty can with the others. 

  
  
  
  
  
  


This is how Flip spent his days. 

He would cry himself to sleep on the floor after drinking all night. He would wake up with a hangover, which he would cure with more drinking. He stayed in the living room, staring at the decorations. He felt some sort of connection to them, knowing that was one of the last things you did. His frustrations would grow, still feeling stuck as he stared at the case file. Once he was annoyed at that, he would drink and smoke all of his money as he tried his best to forget about you. 

He tried to forget about you hating him. About you crying as you ran away from him. And mostly about you even thinking for a second that his love for you was fake. 

He would try to ignore his brain as he thought of Kronos torturing you, or even worse. He was scared to think of what you were going through… and it was all Flip’s fault. 

Each night he made his way over to the menorah, placing a candle in each slot. He couldn’t help the tears streaming down his face as he recited the blessings each night. He would fall to his knees, watching the flame flicker. His chest heaved, desperately wanting you to be there with him. Desperately wanting you to forgive him. 

You were supposed to be here with him, lighting each candle with him. 

  
  
  
  
  


He knew he shouldn’t think of ‘What if’ situations. He knew it wouldn’t help what was going on, but he couldn’t stop himself. 

What if he told you Kronos put a target on you? Would you still have agreed to go out with him? Would you still have fallen in love with him? 

Probably not.

What if Daniel Mitchell pulled through and actually shot him? Flip could have been dead right now… Still leaving you in danger. You would still be in this situation, only Flip wouldn’t be alive to see it. 

What if he didn’t bring you to the station that day he questioned Kronos? He would never have seen you, leaving you to be safe. 

What if he never asked you to sit down in that bar all those nights ago…

“No,” Flip spoke to himself as he shook his head. He couldn’t think about that. He didn’t want to imagine his life without you. He could imagine ‘what if’s’ all he wanted, but just not that one...

He never expected his life to change when he met you. He thought you would be just another one night stand that he would ignore. Another girl that wouldn’t satisfy his hunger.

He was dead wrong. 

He knew the moment he laid eyes on you that you were different. He immediately had a connection with you. When you were gone, he needed more, addicted to you after just a short amount of time. 

Flip tried to imagine a time where he felt like it was just you two. A time where you knew you belonged to each other. Where you were at your happiest. Where your life wasn’t in any danger… 

But see, that’s where Flip fucked up. Your life was always in danger. He just chose to ignore it, blinded by how much he was in love with you. He was stupid to let his guard down around you. The guilt would be so much, he would eventually cry himself to sleep or until he drank himself into a temporary coma. Starting the neverending cycle again. 

Flip felt like he was stuck in repeat, doing this night after night for the last week. He was foolish to think you would come back to him on your own. That Kronos would just give up and hand you back over to him. He knew it was stupid. 

Yet he still got his hopes up when he heard a knock on his door one night. 

Flip was sitting on the living room floor with a bottle of whiskey in his hands, getting ready to start the cycle over when he heard it. At first, he thought he was hallucinating, that it was the liquor’s doing. Even if he was, there was no harm in checking, right? 

Flashes of you at his doorstep ran through his mind, causing him to stand to his feet. He didn’t know why, but he had a good feeling about this. He could imagine you running into his arms as he opened the door. 

This was his motivation to walk over to the front door, whipping it open. Flip turned his head from side to side, watching the emptiness swirl around him. He held onto the door frame, trying to keep himself up. He spoke your name a few times when he didn’t see you standing there. He felt his eyes sting with tears and he realized how stupid he was. Did he really think you were just going to walk back into your life? That it was all just a nightmare? 

He brought the bottle of whiskey up to his mouth, taking a few gulps. His face twisted with the kick as it slid down his throat. He felt himself cringe, lowering his head to lessen the sting. 

He was about to step back and close the door until he saw something on his doormat, sitting in front of his feet. He blinked at it a few times, trying to get his eyes to focus. 

It was a small box with a card taped to it. Flip tilted his head, trying his best to decipher it. The only thing he could make out was something written on the card. Flip took one more chug of his whiskey as he bent down slowly to pick it up. He looked around at the streets, trying to find out who placed the box there. 

He lifted the box, looking under it as he kicked his front door closed. He stared down at the box until he sat back in his usual spot on the floor, noticing how bad his body ached from sleeping there so many nights. 

“Hm.” Flip tried his best to get back in the detective’s mindset as he studied the box. He was failing miserably. 

“Fuck it.” Flip placed the bottle of whiskey down next to him as looked down at the card. His name was written across the envelope, telling him it was for him. He could at least figure that one out. 

He could hear himself gulp as he carefully broke the envelope, slipping out the card. Flip’s vision was blurry as stared down at the card, waiting for the words written on there to come into focus. It was a few seconds until he was able to make out something. 

  
  
  


“Happy Hanukkah. 

-X

  
  


Flip felt himself start to sober up as he read the signature. He cleared his throat as he carefully set the card on his leg, looking over to the box sitting in front of him. Flip took a deep breath, wondering if he should call Ron or not… But Flip’s judgment was still being clouded by the liquor. 

He carefully grabbed the box, peeling the wrapping paper edge by edge. He took a slow breath in as he lifted the top. 

His eyes didn’t take long to focus this time though. It was quick to recognize the item as the necklace that you wore around your neck. The necklace he gave you at the diner. Flip felt his chest ache as he took a look closer. There was dried blood staining the chain and waveform. 

He placed the box down, finally deciding that it was a good idea to call Ron. 

  
  
  
  
  
  


“They’re gonna see if they can get anything off the necklace,” Ron whispered. Flip could tell he was trying to be cautious with him, considering the state he was in. They were both standing in the front door of his home after Ron brought an entire squad over. 

Flip stood there helplessly as he watched them take prints and various swabs of the necklace and his front door. 

Flip didn’t respond to him. He was too busy watching the box be carried away by someone with  _ ‘forensics’  _ written on the back of their jacket. He could sense Ron as he took a step closer to him, placing his hand over Flip’s shoulder. 

“It’ll be okay.” Ron tried to reassure him, trying to make him feel better. 

“You don’t know that,” Flip muttered. He looked down at his feet, bringing a lit cigarette into his mouth. 

“No, I don’t,” Ron cleared his throat as he squeezed his hand over his shoulder. 

“We have to stay positive though.” Ron shook his shoulder, trying to get his attention. 

Flip turned his head as he looked away from Ron. He took another puff of his cigarette, feeling his bottom lip starting to tremble. He felt his nostrils sting as he exhaled the smoke. 

“How have you been?” Ron patted his shoulder a few times before bringing his hand back to his side. Flip turned his head towards Ron when his lip stopped trembling.

“No one has heard from you in a week.” Ron turned his head, looking into the living room. It was a few moments before he took a few steps inside. 

Flip brought the cigarette into his mouth before following behind. He leaned against the wall watching a wrinkle from between Ron’s eyebrows. Flip followed his gaze as Ron turned around, looking around the entire room. 

Flip could tell he was only looking around the floor, ignoring all the hard work you did. Only focusing on the growing piles of trash, mixing empty packs of cigarettes and bottles of liquor. He took a moment to look at the paperwork spread across the floor, but he was quick to overlook it. 

Flip looked over to the lights hanging on the wall, trying to imagine how pretty your eyes would be, twinkling in the white and blue colors. 

“Is this what you’ve been doing the entire week?” Ron shook his head as he looked over to Flip. 

Flip shrugged his shoulders as he made his way over to the couch. He threw his cigarette into his ashtray, lighting up another one. 

“This is why you’ve haven’t come to the station?” Ron shook his head as he kicked an empty beer can, sliding it a few feet in front of him. 

“This is how you’re dealing with her being gone?” Ron walked across the living room, heading for the couch. Flip watched as he did a double-take towards the window, watching as the Star of David spun around slowly in the air. 

“Did… Did she do that?” Ron mumbled as he went back to his task of sitting next to Flip. His tone was gentle, considering he was on the verge of a lecture before. 

“Yeah.” Flip cleared his throat, looking in the other direction again. He could feel his eyes start to water. That always happened when he looked in that area for too long. 

“I guess I forgot it was Hanukkah…” Ron trailed off. He turned his head over, looking over to the seven candles already sitting there that were previously lit. 

“I’m sorry,” Ron whispered. Flip shook his head, exhaling smoke through his nose.

“I wanted her to be here for it.” Flip whispered as he turned his head towards the menorah. 

“I wanted her to be back before it ended.” Flip felt his lip quivering again as he stood up from the couch. 

He felt his feet drag as he made his way over to the table. His hand shook as he reached for the box of candles. He shifted his body to look over to Ron. 

“Will you stay for the last one?” Flip whispered. 

He didn’t have it in him to be alone for the last night. Especially after tonight’s events. 

“Please.” Flip didn’t wait for his answer before turning back to the menorah. He heard the couch creak before hearing Ron’s footsteps. 

Ron stood next to him as he recited the blessings for the night. Flip could feel Ron’s hand over his shoulder when his voice got shaky. Flip never felt so alone. He never thought he would find himself doing these traditions after his parents were gone. He never cared for it as a kid. It was just something he would follow while his parents were around. He never had that holiday spirit or excitement to be involved each year. He would just live those days like they were any other day. 

All he could think about now was spending these traditions with you. He wanted to hold your hand as you lit each candle together. He wanted to tell you stories about how he was a stupid kid and should have appreciated this with his parents more. 

Sure he was horrible at keeping tradition… but he wanted to start new ones with you.

He lit each candle from left to right, watching as the growing lights filled the room. He took a step back, getting a better look at the menorah. He could see the reflection of the flames in the window behind it. 

“You alright, man?” Ron whispered when he started to notice tears forming in Flip’s eyes. 

He didn’t bother responding again. Of course, he wasn’t alright. How could he be? He was sitting at home while your life was in danger. He was quick to wipe a fallen tear with the back of his hand as he shook his head. He tried taking a deep breath to compose himself as Ron lifted his other arm, now resting both hands over Flip’s shoulders. 

Flip turned his head, trying to hide that the tears didn’t stop coming down. He didn’t need anyone seeing him like this. 

“It’s okay, Flip,” Ron whispered, pulling him into a hug. Flip could feel his chest start to heave as desperate sobs left his mouth.

Flip didn’t know what it was that caused it. Maybe it was the first social interaction he’s had for a week or the fact that someone was embracing him. Hearing that it was okay when it clearly wasn’t. 

“Bring her back.” Flip tried his best to catch his breath, but the sobs were ripping through his throat too fast. 

“I know.” Ron shook his head, not knowing what to say. He settled on hugging him a little tighter, feeling his shirt starting to get wet from the tears soaking through. 

“Bring her back to me.” That’s all Flip could say. He repeated himself over and over as Ron patted his back, swaying him back and forth. 

“Bring her home.” Flip could barely hold himself up as he felt to his knees. 

“Hey… It’s okay.” Ron whispered. He followed him to the ground, hovering over him. Ron sat on his knees, watching Flip throw a sloppy punch to the floorboards. 

“Please.” Flip shouted. He could feel his chest ache from the pain of crying, not knowing how much left he had in him. 

“Promise me.” Flip lifted his head to look over to Ron. He was staring down at him with a shocked look on his face. 

Flip struggled as he tried to grab Ron’s shirt, falling onto the floor a little more. He felt his back slap against the floor as he tried again. 

“Flip,” Ron pleaded. 

“Promise me…” Flip could feel himself start to drift off, feeling the comfort of his new bed. After the week he’s had, falling into a deep sleep was what he looked forward to the most. It was the best time to forget that you were gone. To forget you hated him. To remember a time you two were together and happy.

“Promise me you’ll bring her home.” Flip’s fingers loosened around Ron’s shirt, feeling his hands drop to his side. 

“Bring her home.” Flip could see images of you in his mind as he blinked his eyes shut. He imagined you next to him, caressing your finger over the bridge of his nose, whispering that you loved him. 

“I promise.” Ron’s voice that was growing distant was the last thing he heard. 

Flip hoped he would keep his promise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bonus points go to whoever knows what song inspired this chapter!!
> 
> tiktok: spookydal  
> twitter/insta: spookydal_  
> gmail: spookydal8


	28. A holly, jolly Christmas

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas Eve you guys... Are y'all ready for some Flip Christmas spirit?? 
> 
> here... we... go...  
> -dal

_ “Why did you bring her here and put her at risk?”  _

Ron remembered asking Flip this after Abigor was clear on his threat towards you. He had thought about it a lot actually. He didn’t want to admit out loud that he knew it was going to bite him in the ass sooner or later. 

Flip was his partner, sure, but he was also his best friend. He wasn’t shy to tell him when he fucked up… but how could he do that when his friend was so  _ broken _ . 

Ron has never seen him like that before. Yeah, he’s gone through a rough break up before and Ron saw how he was after his parents passed, but that was nothing to how he was now. 

He was so busy missing you and drowning in his own guilt, he never even came to the station to work on the case with him. He only wanted to do it alone. He was pretty sure he slept on his living room floor, going crazy as he looked over the case and on the decorations around the room. He knew that he felt some sick connection to them, feeling that was the last thing keeping you alive in his mind.

The growing piles of trash told him that Flip didn’t move. Never showered, ate, or had a moment of peace. His mind attacking itself as it put the blame on him. 

When he watched Flip lying on the ground as he cried for you, his heart ached. He didn’t know what to do or how to make him feel better. It was already a tough situation that he was going through, and spending the holidays without you didn’t seem to help. 

  
“Tell me again why you invited him?” Jen’s voice was already annoyed as she was pouring herself another glass of wine. 

Ron pleaded with her to have Flip come over for Christmas Eve. He couldn’t just leave him alone to wallow in his self-pity, knowing that Christmas was your favorite holiday. He would be a horrible friend to do that. 

“Baby, please. We already went over this.” Ron stressed as he was putting on his coat. 

“Well, remind me.” Jen sat back on the couch, trying to get comfortable. 

Times weren’t only tough for his best friend… They were tough for his girlfriend. Jen had to sit back and not know why her best friend went missing. Ron would catch her crying around the house, wishing that you would come back. For some reason, Jen thought you ran away… That you couldn’t handle things after the fight with Flip. 

Ron wasn’t going to be the one to tell her what really was going on. 

“Baby,” Ron sighed. “He can’t be alone right now. He misses her too much.” Ron walked over and sat down on the couch next to her. 

“Tell him to visit his family. They can make him feel better.” Jen rolled her eyes. 

Ron shook his head, wishing she could understand. Wishing he could explain it to her. He sighed again. Even though Flip was his best friend, he had to see it from her point of view. Only knowing that he was the dumbass who broke her best friend's heart. 

“He doesn’t have anyone,” Ron whispered. 

“No one?” Jen’s voice was echoed as she lifted the wine glass to her mouth. Ron swallowed the lump in his throat as he spoke your name. 

“She’s the only one he has… Had.” He corrected himself. “Her and me.” Ron watched as Jen downed the rest of her glass, already pouring more. 

Ron could tell that she was contemplating as she defocused, staring off into space. It was a moment before she snapped out of it, looking over to him. 

“And you really think this is a good idea?” Her voice was filled with concern.

“He’s bad, baby…” He trailed off, taking a deep breath. “You should have seen him…” Ron looked away as the images of Flip ran through his mind again. 

There wasn’t a moment where he wasn’t fighting tears, chain-smoking back to back. He could hear his voice trembling no matter how hard he tried to hide it. He heard his sobs as he lit the last candle, reciting the blessings. 

What hurts him the most was when he fell to the floor, begging him to bring you back to him. To bring you back home. 

“Fine,” Jen muttered. 

This made Ron lean over, planting a few kisses all over her face. He could hear her giggle around him, being the first time she’s laughed in weeks. 

“Okay, okay!” Jen giggled again. “I get it!” 

Ron smiled over to her as he stood up from the couch. 

“Go pick his bitch ass up.” Jen was quick to start sipping her wine again.

“I’ll be back soon. Love you, babe.” Ron gave her a quick peck on her lips before heading out. 

Ron didn’t think Flip could get any worse… but boy was he wrong. 

Ron had to basically carry him to the car since he couldn’t stand up on his own. Ron had the idea to sober him up with coffee, desperately needing this to go as smoothly as possible. Jen already wasn’t happy with him coming over… him blacking out during dinner wouldn’t really help things. 

“I’m f-fine!” Flip stuttered as he shoved the coffee back towards Ron. 

He managed to find a drive-thru open that served coffee. They were sitting in the parking lot as Ron tried his best to play babysitter. 

“Goddammit, Flip.” Ron took a deep breath, trying his best to remain calm. 

“You need to get your shit together, man.” Ron felt bad for his harsh tone, but he needed to head back soon or Jen would get worried and call. 

She’s been doing that lately… Almost scared that he would run away from her too. 

“As I said, I’m fine,” Flip whispered. His head leaned against the car window as his eyes were growing heavy. He seemed to perk back up when Ron spoke your name. 

“Please… Do it for her.” Ron was trying to be as gentle as he could using your name. 

It took a moment, but it seemed to do the trick as he reached his hand out to grab the cup from him. 

The car ride was quiet since Flip wouldn’t allow any Christmas music to play on the radio. It was just a painful reminder. 

Ron would catch him staring at his phone most of the ride. Ron was curious to see what was keeping him so quiet. 

“Look how happy she looked.” Flip’s voice was quiet as he finally turned his phone, showing what was so important to him. 

Ron took a deep breath through his nose as he stopped at a red light. He looked over, grabbing his phone. He could hear Flip’s heart shatter in his seat as Ron looked down at the screen. 

It was you and Flip sitting at a dinner table. You leaned against his chest, flashing the biggest smile. You did look so damn happy. 

“I miss her.” Flip’s voice was starting to shake as he grabbed the phone again. Ron looked over to his friend's hands before he drove past the green light. He was zooming in on your face, cutting himself out of the photo. 

Ron knew he missed you, but there wasn’t anything he could say to make it hurt any less. 

  
  


Flip seemed to sober up a little, being able to walk on his own. He was still drunk, but Ron hoped Jen would let it slide. Ron imagined she already opened a new bottle since he’s been gone. 

“Hey,” Ron greeted Jen. It seemed like she was still on the same spot on the couch. The only difference was that there was in fact, a new bottle of wine on the table in front of her. 

“Hey.” She was short when she laid eyes on Flip. 

“Merry Christmas, Jen.” Flip’s voice was a dead give away, showing how awkward the room was. 

Jen sipped her wine, ignoring him. 

Ron nibbled on his bottom lip, not knowing what to do. The room was painfully quiet, with everyone too scared to say something. 

“You know, every year me and her exchange gifts.” Jen broke the silence as her bottom lip trembled. 

“She would go all out on my gifts, even after I told her not to.” Jen’s hand wiped her eye before a tear could roll down her cheek. 

Ron held his breath, confused about where she was going with this. He then looked over to Flip, not knowing how he was going to react. Flip was looking down at his feet but Ron knew he was on the verge of tears. 

“Seeing all the lights, being together with friends and family. It’s her favorite time of year…” Jen’s voice cracked as tears started rolling down her face. 

“I know.” Flip chimed in. 

“Oh, you know?” Jen took one last sip of her wine before setting the glass on the table in front of her. She was quick to wipe the rest of her face off as the tears stopped. 

“Babe-” Ron tried to stop her, knowing she was getting riled up. 

“No,” She held her hand up, interrupting him. 

“He knows!” A dry laugh left her mouth. 

“Yeah. I do.” Flip lifted his head to look at her. He wasn’t on the verge of tears anymore. 

“Wow.” Jen laughed again. 

“I know her pretty well.” Flip wasn’t shy in how much attitude he was giving her.

Ron knew that Flip already blamed himself enough… it was the tipping point when it was obvious that she was blaming him too. 

“Yet you fucking broke her heart.” Jen’s voice was getting louder. 

Flip didn’t respond.

“What a fucking asshole.” Jen had her arm out, waving it in the air as she shouted. 

“That wasn’t my fault!” Flip was quick to match her tone. 

“Nothing’s ever your fault, is it?” Jen shook her head. “What about when you were flirting with Lauren in front of her, huh?” Jen pointed at him. 

“When you hid her away from your job, only to find out that you told the entire fucking station your relationship was a lie?” Jen pointed out in another direction, still shouting. 

“It took you so fucking long to claim her as your girlfriend. I could see the stress radiating off of her!” Jen rolled her eyes, running her fingers through her hair. 

“No wonder she ran away from your ass.” Jen laughed. “She wanted to get as far away from you as she could!” She shook her head, grabbing her drink from the table. She was quick to chug the rest that was in her glass. 

“You don’t think I know all the shit I put her through? How often I think about it?” Flip paced back and forth as he shouted. 

“All the shit I put Ron and her through?” Flip shook his head. “You think it doesn’t kill me to know what I did to them?” Flip ran his hand through his hair as he continued to pace. 

“What?” Jen’s voice was quiet as she turned her head to look over to him. 

“What did you do to Ron?” She set her glass back down, taking a few steps closer to him. 

“Shit,” Ron muttered under this breath as he walked over to her. This wasn’t good.

“Nothing…” Flip trailed off. 

“Tell me what you did to him.” Jen hissed through her teeth, as she took a step closer to him. 

Ron grabbed her arms, trying to hold her back. He could feel her start to shake with anger when Flip didn’t answer. 

“What the fuck is going on?!” Jen tried to shout but she was on the verge of tears, causing her voice to crack. She was quick to look over to Ron who was still holding her back. 

“Baby,” She whispered. “Tell me what he means.” She pleaded. 

Ron looked over to Flip who was nibbling on his bottom lip. He blinked over to him as the silence grew in the room. 

Ron turned his head back over to look at Jen. Tears were streaming down her face, and he completely understood why. 

She was jumping to conclusions and worst-case scenarios, considering her best friend left her behind. 

“I was the reason he got shot.” Flip’s voice broke the silence. 

“W-What?” Jen stuttered, covering her mouth with her hand. Ron could still see her chin trembling with her tears. 

“What are you saying?” Jen questioned when Flip started to pace back and forth again. 

“It was a dirty cop. He thought Ron was me… I was supposed to be the one who got shot that night.” Flip stopped in his tracks as he turned his head towards Jen. 

Ron shut his eyes for a moment, trying to take advantage of the calm before the storm. He tightened his grip around Jen’s arms as she tried to lunge herself at Flip. 

“It was supposed to be you?!” She screamed over her sobs. 

“He almost died!” Jen pushed Ron, getting closer and closer to Flip. He noticed that Flip didn’t move, almost feeling like he deserved whatever punishment she was going to give him. 

Ron held her back a little tighter, wrapping his arms around her. He felt her give up, lowering her head against his shoulder as she cried. He could hear profanities mixed with her cries, holding onto him. 

It was a minute before she caught her breath. 

“What do you mean it was a dirty cop? What does that have to do with you?” Jen lifted her head from Ron’s shoulder, looking over to Flip. 

Ron led Jen back over to the couch, knowing that he was going to get into it. She needed to sit down, but she needed a refill even more. 

When she finally sat down, Ron lifted the bottle of wine to fill her glass up. 

“Abigor Kronos,” Flip mumbled. 

It took a second, but Jen looked over to Ron with a wrinkle in between her eyebrows. 

“The criminal? The case you guys have been working on?” Jen looked over to Ron, trying to understand what he was saying. 

“He has it out for Flip…” Ron trailed off. “He was after him… sent one of his henchmen to…” Ron lifted his eyebrows, not wanting to say the actual word. 

“To kill him?” Jen’s eyes widened in shock. 

“Yes.” Flip looked over to her, finally being able to face her. 

“The guy got confused,” Flip took a deep breath. “Thought Ron was me.” 

“So you’re the reason he spent all that time with fucking tubes coming out of his chest?” Jen started shouting again. 

“You’re the reason why he missed all those weeks of work? Why he was in so much pain?” Jen shook her head. 

Ron looked over to her, seeing that she wasn’t sad anymore. The rage was practically steaming off her body. 

“It should have been you.” Jen pointed her finger at Flip. “It should have been you that was shot that night. You should have fucking died.” Jen shook her head again, turning her body to look away. She couldn’t even bear to look at the two men in the room. She felt betrayed. 

“Baby, please look at me,” Ron whispered. He tried to reach out for her hand, but she yanked it away from his grip. 

“You two have been lying for months.” Ron placed his hand on her back, rubbing up and down as he tried to console her. She shook her head as she whispered your name, looking over to Flip. 

“Did she know? Did she know that it was supposed to be you?” Tears were streaming down her face again. 

“She knew nothing.” Flip looked down at his feet, almost embarrassed to face her. 

“Fucking hell…” Jen lifted the glass to her mouth, taking a couple of chugs. 

“What else are you lying about, Flip?” She slammed her glass down onto the table. “Now’s the time to get it all out.” Jen laughed. 

“Baby, please,” Ron begged. He knew she couldn’t handle it anymore, but she kept prying. 

“She didn’t run away…” Flip walked over to the closest chair, plopping himself down. He rested his elbows on his thighs, dropping his head into his hands. 

“What?” Jen looked over to Ron for confirmation, but all he could do was look down. He shook his head, knowing that he should have told her sooner. 

“She didn’t run-” 

“I heard you the first time!” Jen interrupted Flip. “If she didn’t run away, then where is she?” 

Jen started crying again when no one said anything. 

“We… Don’t know where she is.” Flip ran his hand through his hair as he whispered. 

“W-What?” She stuttered through her sobs. 

“We don’t know where she is,” Ron repeated as he continued rubbing her back. 

“There’s two fucking detectives in this room and you can’t figure out where my best friend is?” Jen wiped her face with her hands as she took a deep breath. 

“What  _ do _ you know?” She shook her head, looking over to Flip. 

“She was taken.” Flip cleared his throat as he sat up, looking back over to her. 

Jen’s face twisted with confusion. She looked over to Ron as she shook her head, finally understanding the severity of everything. 

“Please don’t tell me this Kronos guy has her…” She turned her head back and forth between the two men in the living room. 

Once again they didn’t say anything, not knowing how to break the news. 

“Oh my God…” She cried. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.” She shook her head as she stood from the couch. 

She rubbed her temples with her fingers, trying to calm down. Ron could hear her grinding her teeth from where he sat, almost scared to look up at her. 

“Listen to me, Flip.” Jen hissing this through her teeth caught the attention of both men, looking up at her. 

“I want you to listen to my every word…” She trailed off as she pointed a finger at him, taking a step closer. 

“This is all your fault.” 

This caused Flip’s lip to tremble, knowing she was right. 

“This is all your fault, and if anything happens to her…” Jen shook her head. “Her blood is on your hands.” 

“Jen,” Ron spoke her name, hoping she would ease up on him. 

“No,” Jen looked over to Ron. “You two have been hiding this for months when you had every chance to let us know.” Jen turned her head to Flip again, still pointing. 

“To let  _ her  _ know.” 

Ron watched as Flip squeezed his eyes shut, letting a few tears stream down his cheeks. Flip’s hand shook as he reached for his back pocket, grabbing his pack of cigarettes. 

“What if something happens to her?” Jen’s hand shook as she placed it over her mouth. Ron could see her mind work, thinking of every worst-case scenario that could happen in Kronos’ hands. Jen shook her head as she sat back down on the couch next to Ron. 

Jen leaned back against the couch as smoke crept out of Flip’s nose. Both of their sniffles filled the room as Ron watched them. His heart was breaking at that moment. Seeing them broken when they were apart was painful already… but seeing them grieve together. It was a type of hurt he’s never experienced before. 

“Tell me one thing, Flip.” Jen’s voice was quiet as looked over to him. 

Ron watched as Flip lifted his head towards her, wiping the tears with the back of his hand. 

“Did you mean what you said?” Jen took a deep breath. “To your chief… Were you only with her for the case?” Her voice was still quiet, almost scared to hear that it was true. 

“Jen,” Ron placed his hand on her knee, trying to stop her. He knew her intentions as your best friend but fuck, he didn’t think Flip couldn’t handle anymore.

“Stop,” Jen lifted her hand towards Ron, stopping him. She kept eye contact with Flip, watching him as he opened his mouth. 

“Tell me the truth.” Jen was quick to add this before Flip could say anything. 

Ron sighed as he looked over to Flip. 

He adjusted in his chair, taking another puff of his cigarette. He blew the smoke out of his nose as he wiped off the remaining tears still on his face. The only thing you could hear in the room was him clearing his throat. 

“No… I didn’t mean any of it.” Flip took a deep breath, looking down at his hands. 

“I don’t know why I said it… I should have just told the chief the truth.” He looked back up towards her. 

“What’s the truth then?” 

Ron lifted his arm to wrap around Jen, pulling her closer to him. He was scared that she would push him away, considering that he lied to her for so long. Flip was under fire, but Ron was equally to blame for this. 

“That I love her.” Flip’s voice shook as he tried to stay strong. 

“That I’ve never been this happy.” Flip lifted the cap off of his coffee cup, dropping the cigarette in there. 

“I know all the fucked up things I did,” Flip took a shaky breath in. 

“I know all the things I put her through and how stupid I was.” 

Ron could feel Jen shake underneath him. He could tell that this was what she wanted to hear, knowing that he wasn’t a complete asshole to her best friend. 

“You don’t know how much I miss her, Jen.” Flip ran his hand through his hair as he pouted his lips out. 

“The only thing that’s keeping me from going insane is the tiny sliver of hope, thinking she will come back home.” Flip swallowed the lump that was in his throat as his lip trembled. 

Jen’s soft cries came from under Ron’s arm, knowing there was a possibility that wasn’t going to happen. 

“We’re going to bring her home.” Ron leaned his head over, kissing Jen’s temple. 

Nobody said anything after that. Flip was hiding his face in his hands as he crouched over and Jen was still crying into Ron’s chest. He felt like he was the only one that wasn’t going crazy.

Ron had a wrinkle in between his eyebrows when he heard Jen’s phone ringing next to her. She jumped in his arms hearing how loud the ringtone was. Jen sat up, getting out from under his hold. She wiped the tears that were on her face, still sniffling. Ron could see that her eyes were starting to swell as she reached for her phone. 

“Fuck.” She muttered. She watched as the phone continued to ring for a minute. Ron and Flip looked over to her as she let it go to voicemail. 

“What’s wrong?” Flip chimed in. 

Ron and Flip watched as she set her phone back down, running her hands through her hair. She took a deep breath as she picked the glass up one last time, drinking the rest that was in her cup. When she puckered her lips with the bitter taste she looked over to Flip. 

“It’s Fifi.” Jen shook her head.

Ron watched as Flip stood from his chair, sliding it a few inches behind him. He could see the panic on his face as he paced back and forth. 

“I told her about the fight and that she left to cool off.” Jen took a deep breath looking up to Flip. 

“She was supposed to be there for Christmas,” Jen whispered this, knowing that it would break his heart more. 

“Shit.” Flip stopped in his tracks as he looked back at her. His lip trembled as he lit another cigarette in his mouth. 

Ron watched Flip basically shake in his boots. Ron could tell he was scared that Jen would tell your mom all the shit that came up tonight, tainting him forever. 

“I’m not going to tell her.” 

Flip took a step closer to her as his face lit up with hope.

“She needs to know though,” Jen ripped what little win he had. 

“And she needs to hear it from you.” Jen sighed as she crossed her arms over her chest. 

Ron watched as Flip nodded his head rapidly. 

“Yeah… Yeah, I know.” Flip lifted the cigarette to his mouth, taking a long drag. His other hand reached into his back pocket. 

“Not now.” Jen held her hand up. “Do it when you’re not on the verge of blacking out.” 

Ron stood up at her sentence. He took a couple of steps until he was standing in front of his friend. His eyes studied him, seeing how truly broken he was. 

His hair was matted and out of place, no matter how many times he ran his hand through it. He was left unshaven, and reeking of liquor, proving that he hasn’t showered in the time you’ve been gone. His flannel that he had on hung baggy over his chest, telling Ron that he wasn’t eating enough. What really stood out to him was the bags under Flip’s eyes. They got bigger since the last time he saw him.

“What do I do?” Flip mumbled to Ron. 

“The only thing you can do.” Ron placed his hand over Flip’s shoulder, trying to bring him back to reality. 

“You need to get cleaned up…” Ron shook his head. “You’re out of control, man.” 

Flip bit down on his bottom lip as he nodded his head agreeing. 

Jen stepped up, standing directly behind Ron. 

“You have to start taking care of yourself.” Ron took a deep breath. 

“If we’re going to find her you need to get your shit together.” Ron shook his shoulder a bit, hoping he was getting the point across. 

“Stop drinking yourself to sleep, eat, shower, something other than what you’re doing now.” Ron looked over to Jen for a moment, seeing that she was chewing on her nails. He turned his head back towards Flip.

“Come to the station and we can work on it together.” Ron sighed. 

“You can’t work on it alone…” He trailed off.

“She wouldn’t want to see you like this.” 

Ron didn’t like talking about you like this. Like you were in the past or worse… dead. He had to be cautious with saying your name or bringing anything up related to you. Walking on eggshells, really. It didn’t help that he babied him, cushioning him with things he couldn’t handle. Scared that he was going to crack. 

It was time for a change, though. 

“She needs you more than ever right now, and you can’t help her if you can’t help yourself.” 

Flip nodded his head as he averted his eyes to look at his feet. It seemed like he was embarrassed by the way he’s been coping. 

“You have me to help you, man.” Ron tilted his head, trying to catch his attention. 

“You have me too.” Jen’s voice was successful in getting Flip to look up. He had a shocked face, which Ron understood. 

“I’m going to give you shit the whole time, but still.” Jen took a step closer to stand next to Ron.

“See?” Ron smiled over to Flip. “We’re going to get her back.” 

“O-Okay…” Flip quickly flashed a smile over to them. 

“Let’s have some dinner.” Ron patted his shoulder before walking into the kitchen. He took a deep breath as he grabbed some plates. 

He had no clue if Flip could get his shit together. The way he’s been the last two weeks… It would be hard for him to go back to normal. The only thing that could really cure him was lost. You have been stolen away from him and Ron knew what he had to do. 

He had to do everything in his power to help get you back. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Make sure you check out the Ronnie fic and my one shots! Both have been updated! 
> 
> tiktok: spookydal  
> twitter/insta: spookydal_  
> gmail: spookydal8


	29. Back to reality

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just wanna take this moment to thank you guys!! you guys continue to amaze me and make me fall in love with writing more and more. thank you for giving BTC a chance... thank you for giving 'This isn't going to end well?' a chance, and thank you for giving my one shots a chance. You guys are so amazing and I don't want you to forget that. 
> 
> okay, I'll shut up now.  
> -dal

Flip’s leg bounced up and down as he tried to calm down. He desperately wanted a drink, not knowing how he was going to get through this. He took a deep breath as he reached for a cigarette, quick to light it up. He was sitting quietly in the parking lot of the station. 

It was a brand new day, and Flip was at the beginning of getting his shit together. 

He managed to clean his mess around the living room, finally being able to see the floor again. What was left in his bottles of liquor was poured down the drain, knowing he needed his full attention on the case. Although it was still hard to sleep in his bed without you, he found some sort of comfort on the living room couch. Ron checked in now and again to make sure he was eating and showering. It was a lot of work for him, but Flip managed to start taking care of himself.

He took a long drag of his cigarette as he looked around the parking lot. He watched as his coworkers were walking into work, whispering to each other as they saw his red and white Chevrolet truck parked there for the first time in weeks. 

He ashed his cigarette as he watched them walk by. That certainly wasn’t helping his nerves. He clenched his jaw as he took a deep breath. He was trying to take his sweet time with his cigarette, knowing it was the only thing stopping him from going inside.

He wanted nothing more than to start his truck and drive back home, working on the case from there. He knew the whispers he would hear behind his back would make it hard for him to focus. The fact that everyone knew his screw up and how he practically handed you over to Kronos made his heartache.

He shook his head as he puffed on his cigarette. He couldn’t go down that road anymore. He had to stop feeling sorry for himself. It wouldn’t help him find you. He took a deep breath as he finally managed to step out of the truck. 

“Zimmerman.” A deep voice broke through the silence. 

Flip turned his head in the direction of the voice, seeing Chief Bridges walking over to him. 

“Chief.” Flip nodded his head, feeling awkward as he stood there. 

“Nice to see you back.” 

Flip expected an attitude and sass from the man standing in front of him, but he didn’t get it. The chief was being sincere, which was the last thing he expected from him.

“It’s good to be back, sir.” Flip flicked the cigarette down on the ground, stepping on it with his boot.

Flip watched as the chief looked around, feeling just as awkward as Flip. 

“Uh-How are you doing?” Bridges rubbed the back of his neck. “I expect it can’t be easy…” He trailed off. 

“Not at all, sir,” Flip mumbled, looking down at his boots. He was quick to take a quick breath, picking his head back up to look at him.

They both stood there as they heard the trees rustling in the wind, not knowing what to do. What could they say after that? Two stubborn men stood in front of each other, not knowing how to communicate.

“I feel like it’s my fault.” Flip reached into his back pocket, desperately needing nicotine. He couldn’t just stand there. He felt like he needed to be honest, still feeling guilty for not letting you know there was a target on your back. 

“Why do you say that?” Bridges kept his tone low as people walked past them. 

“I didn’t tell the truth.” Flip inhaled his cigarette. 

“To the nurse?” Brides questioned. 

Smoke crept out of Flip’s nose as he glared over to him, stating your name. 

“Sorry,” Bridges repeated your name back. 

“Yes,” Flip took another inhale of his cigarette. “Or to you.” Flip leaned back against his truck as he watched the chief shake his head. 

“No, no…” Bridges crossed his arms over his chest. 

“I might have gone too far in telling you to stay away from her.” Bridges took a deep breath. 

“You have to look at it from my point of view… I didn’t want anyone to get hurt.” The Chief shook his head as he looked down at his feet.

“I just wanted you to be careful.” Bridges looked up at Flip. “I don’t need to remind you how dangerous Kronos is.” 

Flip swallowed the lump in his throat as he nodded his head. 

“I had no clue how serious your relationship was.” Bridges chewed on the inside of his cheek as he took a moment. 

“I didn’t know how you felt about her.” He sighed. 

Flip watched as the chief looked down at his feet again, almost like he was trying to gather enough confidence. It was silent between the two men for a minute. 

“I’m the one who needs to apologize.” Bridges was the first to speak again. 

Flip twisted his face with confusion… that was the last thing he expected from his chief. 

“I should have pulled you aside that day… I shouldn’t have confronted you in front of anyone.” Bridges took a quick breath as he shook his head again. 

“Especially in front of her.” 

Flip licked his lips as the memories of that day flashed through his mind. He could feel his jaw clenching as he tried to forget the lies that came out of his own mouth. 

“I really wanna know…” Bridges trailed off. 

“Are you okay?” 

Flip took a deep breath through his nose as he nibbled on his bottom lip. 

That was a loaded question, considering the last three weeks he had. 

“Uh-” Flip pouted his lips.

Flip tried to stop his hand from shaking as he brought the cigarette to his mouth again. Sure he could fool everyone by showing up to work and not drowning his sorrows in a bottle of liquor, but it didn’t change the fact that he missed you. His heart was shattered, still not having you home with him. He wanted nothing more than to wrap his arms around you. To pull you close to him in bed and never let you leave. 

“I’m doing a little better.” 

Flip watched as the chief looked down at his feet again, almost like he was guilty. Flip wanted to enjoy that, knowing that not only were you gone but you were gone and you hated him. He wanted to blame it on his chief to ease some of the pain, but he couldn’t bring himself to it. He could sense the regret radiating off of Bridges, who usually never showed any sense of vulnerability. 

“That’s good to hear.” Bridges responded. 

Flip watched as the chief lifted his hand to rub the back of his neck again, feeling awkward with his apology. 

“Ready to go in?” Flip cleared his throat as he stepped on his cigarette. 

  
  
  
  
  
  


Flip felt like he was going insane, pacing back and forth in one of the briefing rooms. Of course, he picked a different one than before… one that didn’t remind him of the fight you two had. 

The chief was kind enough to let Flip have the room for as long as he needed, ordering everyone else out unless Flip called for them. 

He had everything on Kronos hung up on multiple bulletin boards. He was staring at every piece of information that he had on him, reading everything over and over again. The entire room was filled with intel and information they gathered over the years, giving Flip hope that he would find a connection… Eventually.

“There has to be something…” Flip chewed on his lower lip, starting to get anxious. He stopped in his tracks to look over to the various pictures and pieces of paper that were hung up.

“Something…” Flip shook his head as he started pacing again. His footsteps echoed throughout the room as his boots hit the floor. 

It was a few minutes until he heard an extra pair of footsteps. 

“Here you go.” Ron walked into the room, handing him one of the cups of coffee in his hands. 

“Thanks.” Flip was quick to grab it, desperate for the extra energy. He sipped on the steaming liquid as Ron propped himself on one of the tables, staring at the various boards around the room. 

“How’s it going?” Ron’s voice echoed as he lifted the cup to his mouth. 

“Shitty.” Flip sighed, walking over to sit next to him on the table. 

“All this bullshit we have on him and we still haven’t caught him?” Flip shook his head. He was trying to keep calm, feeling his blood starting to boil. He shut his eyes as he tried to remember the picture of you on Thanksgiving. He needed to focus on a time you were happy with him since that was the only thing that could calm him down.

“We need to start at the beginning. We must have overlooked something.” Ron set his cup down as he stood from the table. 

“He started out dealing drugs in Russia then came to the States and got involved with firearms.” Flip ran his hand through his hair.

“We know he likes to hide out in abandoned buildings… preferably in a busy town. Fewer people pay attention that way.” Ron pointed to two maps on separate boards. 

“West Baltimore and Miami…” Flip nodded his head as he shut his eyes. He could practically picture the words on the case file he read so many times before. 

“He fled both cities before they could even get close to him.” Ron took a deep breath as he crossed his arms over his chest. 

“Always before they made any arrests.” Flip set his coffee down, getting off the table to stand next to Ron. 

“But how did he know…” Ron was quiet with his question, almost like he was asking himself. 

“Most likely got tipped off.” Flip crossed his arms over his chest. He turned his head to look over to Ron. 

“Probably had cops on his payroll.” Ron finished his thought.

“Daniel Mitchell.” Flip shrugged his shoulders. “It’s obvious who it was here.” Flip tilted his head to look at the board behind Ron, focusing on where a picture hung of Mitchell. 

Flip twisted his face as he took a step back, getting a better view of the picture. He couldn’t explain why but he was getting a gut feeling. He couldn’t put his finger on it...considering the man was dead. 

“Have you looked into Mitchell?” Flip kept looking at the picture as he questioned Ron. 

“No.” Ron sighed as he walked over, standing next to Flip. 

“Why not?” Flip’s face twisted with confusion. 

“His wife is still dealing with his death.” Ron took a deep breath as he looked up at Flip. 

“Besides, I don’t think she would want to be interviewed by the guy her husband shot.” Ron clenched his jaw. 

“The chief told me to leave her be.” 

“Jesus.” Flip shook his head at him. 

He knew the situation was weird enough for the chief. Kronos was a hurricane over his station, leaving a mess behind for him to clean up. Everything that’s happened within the past year… Flip understood why he wanted to leave her alone.

But Flip couldn’t do that., not when you were still gone. Anything could lead to you, no matter how small the information was. Flip walked over to the table, picking up his coffee. He turned his head to look at the picture of Mitchel as he brought the cup to his mouth, taking a few sips. 

“I’ll be back.” Flip tossed his cup in the trash after finishing what was left in it. 

“Wait-” Ron turned around to look at him.

“Where are you going?” Ron questioned as he watched Flip grab his coat. 

“I’m going to interview the wife.” Flip snaked his arms through his coat, slipping his hand into his front pocket. He grabbed his car keys out of his pocket as he walked over to one of the boards in the room. A picture of Kronos sat in front of him, almost taunting him. 

“What the hell?” Ron kept his voice low, careful not to get anyone else’s attention.

“We can’t have any loose ends…” Flip ripped the picture down, folding it and putting it in his pocket. 

“What if it helps us find her?” Flip turned his head to look at Ron. Flip knew Ron disapproved of going against the chief… but he also knew that he would do anything to get you back. That includes going against the chief… again. 

“Just…” Ron took a deep breath. “Be careful, okay?” 

“Don’t be too harsh on her.” Ron gave him a reassuring nod before Flip walked out of the room. 

Flip had no clue if this was going to lead to anything… He knew from the case file that Mitchell’s wife, Janet, was having a hard time finding out that her husband’s death was a homicide, not self-inflicted like it seemed to be. She would probably be upset with Flip showing up, asking questions, and making her live through it all over again… 

He thought it was a long shot to interview her. She most likely couldn’t offer him anything that could lead to you, but he had to try. He at least needed to cross it off of his list. He wouldn’t be able to live with himself if something happened to you. Especially if he didn’t check out every possible lead. 

The drive to Janet’s house was quiet, other than the wind blowing through the open window. Flip couldn’t listen to music anymore. Not while you were still gone. It would just remind him of you humming along to the music as you laid against him. 

He couldn’t do that. He needed to focus, trying to decide what questions to ask and how. 

_ “Don’t be too harsh on her.” _

Ron’s words echoed in his mind as Flip brought his truck to a stop in the street in front of his destination. 

Daniel Mitchell’s house. 

The first thing Flip noticed was the two little bicycles in the front yard, which caused a wrinkle to form in between his eyebrows. From the case file, Flip knew he had three kids. He shook his head as he stepped out of his truck, trying to focus on what he was here for. 

He had to talk himself up, not knowing what he was getting himself into as he walked up to the front door. He took a couple of deep breaths before he knocked, feeling the picture of Kronos burning in his pocket. 

Flip could hear faint footsteps leading to the front door before it opened. Flip could almost see himself in Janet. Her hair was matted and tangled, she looked pale with bags under her eyes and a cigarette in her hand. 

“Hi.” Flip cleared his throat. 

“Can I help you?” Her voice was quiet as she brought the cigarette up to her mouth. 

“My name is Flip… I was hoping to ask you a couple of questions,” Flip took a quick breath. “About your husband.” 

Flip watched as Janet’s bottom lip quivered, bringing up the cigarette again. She was quick to turn her head behind her, almost like she didn’t want whoever was in the house to hear. 

“You a cop or something?” She whispered as he turned her head back towards Flip. 

“Detective.” Flip corrected her. He watched as she exhaled the smoke. 

“I was wondering when one of y’all was going to show up.” She rolled her eyes. 

“Let’s go in the backyard.” She waved her hand, telling Flip to follow her. 

Janet shut the door behind him, leading the way towards the backyard. Flip noticed the dishes piling up in the kitchen sink, telling him that she didn’t have the motivation to do anything. Her trash cans were filled to the brim, close to overflowing. 

Flip stopped in his tracks when Janet made her way over to the living room couch. There was a little girl, probably six or seven laying down watching some cartoon pigs on the TV. 

“Daisy, baby,” Janet bent down, trying to get the little girl’s attention. 

“Hm…” The little girl tilted her head towards Janet but her eyes were still glued on the TV. 

Flip swallowed the lump in his throat as he saw how pale the little girl was. He took a deep breath imagining you playing with Evan who was probably around the same age as Daisy. Evan was so energetic, running around the living room as he played… Daisy was the polar opposite.

“Mommy needs to talk to her friend… If you need me I’ll be in the backyard, okay?” Janet ran her hand over Daisy’s forehead like she was checking if she had a fever. 

“Okay, mommy.” Daisy’s voice was quiet as she responded. 

Flip watched Janet stand up to walk out of the room, sliding open the door leading to the backyard. She stepped to the side, letting Flip walk in front of her. Flip cleared his throat as he stepped outside, sitting down in one of the chairs set out. There was a small table between them with an ashtray set on top. He wasn’t surprised to find it was also on the verge of overflowing. There were fallen leaves all over the grass, telling him that there has been no upkeep towards the house. More toys were scattered across the grass, covered in dirt. 

“Flip, was it?” Janet managed to push some of the cigarettes aside in the ashtray, putting out her current one. 

“Yes.” Flip nodded his head. 

“So… What do you wanna know,  _ Flip _ ?” She emphasized his name as she grabbed a new cigarette from out of her jacket pocket. 

“I’m assuming about my liar husband.” She sniffled her nose before lifting the lighter to spark the cigarette in her mouth. 

“Well,” Flip took a quick breath. “Yes and no.” 

He watched as her face twisted with confusion, blowing smoke out of her mouth. 

“I wanna go over what happened. Hear it from your side.” Flip blinked over to her. She still looked confused as she sat up a little straighter in her chair. 

“Hm.” She took another puff. 

“I didn’t find out that he shot that detective until a couple of days after.” She took a deep breath, leaning back in her chair. 

“No one called, no one came by. Nothing.” She shook her head. 

“It wasn’t until he didn’t come home for a couple of days that I called the station.” She shrugged her shoulders. 

“I thought he went missing…” She sighed. “Turns out he got arrested.” 

Flip watched as she nodded her head, looking back towards the door to make sure Daisy was okay. 

“I tried talking to him, but he kept refusing my calls.” Janet brought the cigarette up to her mouth again, stopping her lip from quivering. 

“He wasn’t talking to anyone,” Flip muttered. He remembered how desperate he was when he tried to talk to Mitchell, trying to get any information on what Kronos knew about you. He, of course, refused to talk to him also

“I didn’t even know that he made bail…” She trailed off. “That night is when I found him.” She shut her eyes, letting a tear roll down her cheek. 

“Where were you that night?” Flip leaned over in his seat to reach his back pocket, fishing his pack of cigarettes out. 

“I was at the movie theater with the kids… Alexander thought it would be a good idea… to get everything off of our minds.” She brought the cigarette up to her mouth again, her hand now shaking. 

“Alexander?” Flip questioned as a wrinkle formed in between his eyebrows. 

“Who’s that?” He bounced his leg up and down as he waited for her to answer. He was quick to light his cigarette, feeling the nicotine hit his system. 

“Daniel’s partner.” She shoved her cigarette into the ashtray, sitting back in her chair again. 

“They were close.” 

Flip chewed on the inside of his cheek, trying to remember the case file on Mitchell… His only partner on file was an officer that was close to retirement and that name didn’t seem familiar. 

“Alexander?” Flip questioned again. That name wasn’t anywhere on the case file. 

“Yeah.” Janet crossed her arms over her chest. 

“He was a good partner… Watched the kids when Daniel went out.” Janet took a deep breath. 

“He helps us a lot, actually.” Janet shook her head. 

“Well, he did.” She corrected herself. 

“What do you mean?” Flip took another puff of his cigarette. 

“He went awol after Daniel died.” She shook her head again. 

“You would think he would be the one to communicate with me.” She rolled her eyes now, grabbing at her pack of cigarettes again. 

“The coroner’s office had to call me and tell me that it wasn’t a suicide.” 

“He just… vanished?” Flip squinted his eyes, trying to understand. 

If Daniel and Alexander were as close as Janet says, it wouldn’t make sense that he would just leave them high and dry like that.

“Yeah.” Janet spaced out as she took a deep breath. 

“He was the only one that could get Daisy to eat.” She shook her head, snapping out of it. 

Flip noticed that when she looked over to him, the bags under her eyes were more prominent than before. She pressed her lips together

“It’s been rough since he died.” 

“Daisy’s getting worse and the debt he left behind…” She trailed off as she shut her eyes. “Sooner or later they’re going to refuse to give her any more treatments.” Janet took a shaky breath in as she brought the cigarette to her mouth again. 

“Treatments?” Flip questioned, watching the smoke creep out of her nose. 

“Chemo.” She whispered. 

Flip’s leg bounced up and down, trying to shake some of the anxiety off. He had no clue Daniel or his family was going through something like this. 

“I-I’m sorry, I didn’t-” Flip kept his voice low, not knowing what to say. 

“It’s okay… Not a lot of people knew.” She whispered. 

Flip continued to shake his leg, thinking over everything she said as the two of them sat there quietly. If Daniel was in so much debt from his daughter’s treatments… He most likely agreed to work with Kronos, hoping to pay his debt off by finishing Flip off. He thought about this over and over… but something else was bugging Flip. 

Alexander…

“Did you find the person that killed him?” Janet looked over to Flip with pleading eyes. Even though she seemed mad at him, she still missed him. 

Flip could feel his heart drop to his stomach, wondering if you were feeling the same about him… 

“Sort of.”

“Let me guess… ‘yes and no’?” Janet rolled her eyes. 

“Yeah…” Flip trailed off.

“What does that even mean?” Janet questioned as she shook her head. 

“Does the name Abigor Kronos sound familiar to you?” Flip leaned over in his seat again, grabbing the picture from his pocket. He unfolded it and handed it over to Janet. 

She grabbed the photo with a wrinkle in between her eyebrows. She studied the photo for a moment before shaking her head.

“No, I’m afraid not.” She handed the photo back to Flip. “Who is he?” 

“I think he’s the reason your husband was killed.” Flip took a deep breath in. 

“Specifically, I think he’s the one that ordered for him to be killed.” Flip watched as Janet’s face twisted with confusion. 

“What?” She turned her head over towards the door again, making sure she wasn’t too loud.    
  


“What, is he some kind of mob boss?” Janet ran her hand through her tangled hair. 

“You could say that.” Flip nodded his head. “I have a feeling he agreed to a job for this man in order to pay off his debt.” 

Normally, Flip wouldn’t share these details so early, especially if he didn’t have proof yet. He always knew it was important to find the facts behind it before presenting it to the victim’s loved ones, but he had a good feeling about this. There was no other way. Daniel’s behavior growing up wasn’t consistent with teaming up with the bad guy. He was a family man that followed in the footsteps of his father… There was no way he was always working with Kronos. It was obvious that he was trying to do it for his daughter… to save her. 

“You have a feeling?” She questioned.

“Yes.” 

“Well, if you have a  _ feeling  _ about it, why do you need me?” Irritation filled her voice as she shook her pack of cigarettes. 

“I’m trying to stop this man from hurting someone else.” Flip kept his voice low, hoping it would hide his heartbreak. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


“Alexander?” Ron questioned. “Who the fuck is that?” 

“Apparently it was Mitchell’s partner.” Flip crossed his arms over his chest. They were back in the briefing room, adding information under Daniel Mitchell. 

“I’m going to brief the chief and maybe he can help us find the guy.” Flip shoved his hands into his pocket as he walked over to the door. 

Bridges was surprisingly okay that Flip questioned Janet without his permission. He himself was shocked at the fact that he hasn’t heard the name ‘Alexander’ before. They had to ask around the uniformed officers to find the man they were desperate to find. 

Flip found out that he was on patrol for the day but Bridges informed him to come back to the station, needing to ask him a couple of questions. After telling Flip what patrol car he was in, he knew exactly who he was looking for. 

Flip was leaning against the back of the building where the uniformed officers parked their car. Flip was smoking a cigarette anxiously waiting for him to spot Alexander. He couldn’t stop tapping his foot, nervous this wasn’t going to lead to anything. 

Flip ran his hand through his hair as he felt his stomach starting to churn. He didn’t want to get his hopes up but he couldn’t help but feel like he was already letting you down. This poor guy was probably scared that he was going into the chief’s office, thinking he was going to get fired. Flip wouldn’t help the situation by questioning him about his dead partner… 

Flip felt his stomach drop when he saw a certain patrol car pull in, parking in one of the spots. He couldn’t wait to get into the chief’s office to question the guy, so he leaned off the wall and walked over to the patrol car. 

The man that stepped out was a younger man with his hair neatly done. Flip watched as he adjusted his pants, slamming his door shut. Alexander’s back was facing Flip, not noticing him as he started to walk up. 

Flip watched as Alexander pulled his phone out of his pocket, bringing it up to his ear. 

“Hey, boss.” 

Flip was still a few feet away but he heard his words perfectly clear. 

“Bridges wants me to go into his office for questioning… I don’t know.” Flip slowed down, hoping to overhear his conversation. He felt a wrinkle form in between his eyebrows… his only boss should be Chief Bridges and it was obvious he wasn’t talking to him. 

“Probably about that idiot Mitchell… I’m still cleaning his fucking mess.” 

“Zimmerman still hasn’t shown up… Probably still drinking himself to death after I delivered your package.” Alexander chuckled. 

Flip shook his head, trying to understand what was being said… His mind was going a mile a minute as he flashed back to the box that was dropped off at his front step. The necklace covered in blood. Your blood. 

Flip felt his breath hitch as something clicked in his mind. 

Daniel Mitchell wasn’t the one on Kronos’ payroll. He was just a desperate man trying to provide for his family. 

It was Alexander who was doing the dirty work. It was Alexander who worked for Kronos, who apparently was trying to send Flip a message, dropping off your necklace to him during Hanukkah. 

“She’s still crying? Jesus fuck… I’ll take care of her when I get back…” Alexander trailed off. “I’ll talk to you soon, Adrik.” 

Flip stopped in his tracks hearing that name. It was the name that was plastered all over his case files… Abigor’s real name… 

Flip felt his feet going against his mind as he rushed up to Alexander. He was shoving his phone back into his pocket as he turned around, noticing Flip rushing over to him. His face was shocked for a moment, seeing that Flip was reaching for his handcuffs. 

It all happened so fast. 

Alexander’s fist met the side of Flip’s face as he punched him, running in the opposite direction. 

“Hey!” Flip shouted. He shook his head, disoriented from the initial shock of being punched. He was quick to snap out of it, running after him. There were uniformed cops standing around, confused as they saw Flip running after one of their own. 

“Call the fucking chief!” Flip shouted as he ran by. He tried to keep up, seeing that Alexander was running the opposite way from the station. There were country roads behind the station, secluded by trees. 

Flip tried his best to keep up with Alexander running in between the trees, trying to lose Flip. 

“Goddammit,” Flip mumbled to himself as he tried his hardest to keep up with him. His boots hitting the grass filled his ears as he continued to run. Flip was starting to freak out because if Alexander was really working with Kronos, he was just as dangerous, and Flip needed to be on high alert. 

It was obvious that Alexander was trying to get as far from Flip as he could, so he was hoping Ron or Bridges would come with help soon… 

Flip tried to control his breathing as he dodged in and out of the trees. He was closing in on Alexander, knowing that his long legs were to his advantage. 

_ “Oof-”  _ Flip felt his breath knocked out of him as something collided with his stomach. 

Flip could barely have time to process what happened before he was knocked down to the ground. 

“Fucker.” Alexander had a fallen tree branch in his hands that he was using to hit Flip. It was a thicker piece that managed to hurt Flip enough where he could knock him out. 

Flip’s eyes widened as he followed the branch being lifted over Alexander’s head, ready to swing again. Flip was surprised with himself as he managed to roll out of the way, swiping his feet across Alexander’s. 

Alexander shouted as he lost his balance, joining Flip on the ground. A few punches were thrown at Flip, trying his best to be set free again. 

“Shit,” 

It was a struggle but Flip managed to turn Alexander onto his stomach, pinning him down. 

“What’s going on?!” Flip heard Ron’s voice being shouted as he ran up. 

“This is him!” Flip shouted, struggling to bring Alexander’s hands behind his back. He was still trying to put up a fight, desperate to get out from under his hold. 

“He’s the one that works for Kronos.” Flip was having a hard time trying to catch his breath as he held his hand out to Ron, motioning for his handcuffs. Flip lost him during the struggle and he didn’t want to take his eyes off of Alexander. He didn’t need him slipping through his fingers. Not when this was the closest he would get to finding you. 

“Here.” Ron’s voice was strained as he handed over his handcuffs. 

“You have nothing!” Dirt and broken leaves blew in the opposite direction of his mouth as Alexander shouted. 

“You’re going to fucking regret this.” An evil laugh that sent shivers down Flip’s spine left Alexander’s mouth. Flip looked up at Ron as he tightened the handcuffs. 

“Shut up!” Ron shouted as he helped Flip stand Alexander up. 

“Take him.” Flip handed him over. 

“I gotta do something.” Flip grabbed his phone out of his pocket when Ron grabbed Alexander’s arms. 

“Let’s go.” Ron shoved Alexander in front of him as they started walking back towards the station. 

“You have the right to remain silent…” Ron’s voice trailed off as he grew farther away. 

Flip squeezed his eyes shut as he ran his hand through his hair. He was trying to fully understand what the fuck just happened. He took a deep breath as he looked down towards his phone. 

He bit down on his lip as he brought the phone up to his ear, hearing the dial tone ringing. 

_ “Hello?”  _

“Fifi… It’s Flip.” His voice shook as he looked around the trees. 

He hated himself for waiting this long to call your mom, but he knew he wanted to wait until he had  _ something _ . Jen was right… he was the one that needed to tell her, but he just wanted to do it with some amount of good news. 

_ “Flip?”  _ Fifi’s voice was annoyed, telling him that she was mad at him for the things he said about her daughter.

_ “Why are you calling?”  _ Flip could hear her exhale, probably her smoking a cigarette. 

“We need to talk.” 

_ “She’s not here… Even if she was, I wouldn’t let you talk to her.”  _ Fifi was quick to shut him down and he couldn’t blame her. 

“No… That’s not it… I need to tell you something.” Flip took a deep breath as he started to walk back towards the station slowly. 

“I should have told you this a long time ago but I wanted to wait…” He trailed off. 

_ “Tell me what?”  _ Fifi questioned. 

Flip licked his lips as he tried to get enough courage to break it to her. He squeezed his eyes shut as he whispered your name. 

“She didn’t leave…” 

_ “What are you talking about?”  _ Flip could hear the worry starting to grow on her voice. 

“She was taken…” Flip shook his head, feeling stupid. “Kidnapped.” 

_ “W-What?”  _ She stuttered.  _ “You’re just now telling me?”  _ Anger was creeping up on her voice. 

_ “She’s been gone for three weeks and you’re telling me now?”  _ Fifi shouted into the phone, which caused Flip to jump. 

“Listen to me… I wanted to wait until we got a lead… Something to lead back to her.” Flip chewed on the inside of his lip, patiently waiting for her response. 

_ “A lead?”  _ She repeated back. Anger was still in her voice, but she stayed quiet as she waited for him to explain. 

“We just made an arrest… I think it could lead back to her.” Flip kept quiet, still scared of your mom. She was already intimidating… but her yelling at him didn’t help. 

_ “I-Is she…”  _ She trailed off, not wanting to finish her question. 

“She’s alive…” Flip nodded his head as Alexander’s voice echoed in his mind. 

_ I’ll take care of her when I get back… _

He didn’t have a lot of time, unfortunately.

“I’ll call you back when I know more.” Flip took a shaky breath in as he heard Fifi whimpering over the phone. 

_ “Please… bring her back safe.”  _ Fifi’s voice trembled. 

“I’m going to do everything I can to do so…” Flip ran his hand through his hair again before he hung up and shoved his phone back into his pocket. 

Flip stood there for a moment with his eyes shut, feeling the cool winter air slapping against his face. You were the closest you’ve been to him in three long weeks… 

He shook his head as he took a deep breath. He started jogging towards the station ready to get answers. 

He meant what he said… He was going to do everything he could to bring you back home. To bring you back to him and your family… Everyone he’s let down. 

Most importantly, he was going to do everything in his power to show that he was sorry. To show that he really didn’t mean what he said… That he loved you with all his heart and that you were the best thing in his life. 

He was going to save you, even though he knew you probably still hated him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> feel free to message me anytime! as you guys know I love my coffee and I have a horrible sleep schedule so I'm always around!! 
> 
> Happy New Years!!!
> 
> p.s. i have something special in the works for you guys ;) 
> 
> tik tok: spookydal  
> instagram/twitter: spookydal_  
> gmail: spookydal8


	30. Tell me the truth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SURPRISE AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!! It's been a while since Dal went against her posting schedule (Yeah... I went there lol) 
> 
> but I won't keep you guys long! Just know I experimented with this chapter, so hopefully, you guys enjoy it!! 
> 
> -Dal

Flip tried to focus on one thing. If he didn’t he would start to go crazy. 

So many things were running through his mind and he couldn’t keep up. 

He took a deep breath, trying his best to focus on the nicotine entering his system. He felt each puff he took as he stood in front of the two-way mirror, watching Alexander through the glass. His hands were cuffed to the table in front of him, tying him down like the animal that he was. 

Flip exhaled the smoke through his nose as he studied Alexander’s face. 

He didn’t look scared. Now and again he would laugh to himself, shouting as if he knew someone was watching him. 

“You don’t have anything on me, pigs!” Another maniacal laugh out of Alexander. 

Flip swallowed the lump in his throat as the door behind him opened and shut, hearing two pairs of footsteps behind him. 

“How do you want to play this?” Ron whispered as he stood on one side of Flip. Ron had a case file in his hands as he looked over to him. 

“We gotta be smart about this.” The chief said as he stood on the opposite side. 

Flip looked between the men standing on either side of him. 

“Let him sit.” Flip brought the cigarette up to his mouth again, taking a deep puff. He was once again only focusing on that, trying not to get too excited. 

“I want him to get nervous.” Flip continued to stare at Alexander. 

The man who could lead everything back to you. 

Flip had a good feeling, sure, but he didn’t want to get his hopes up. Not with what little time he has. 

“Kronos has no idea we arrested him…” Flip trailed off. 

“Yet,” he muttered. 

“We don’t have a lot of time.” Ron turned his head to look over at him. 

“I know.”

“It’s been two hours....” The chief added. 

“I know,” Flip repeated with more emphasis, bringing the cigarette up to his mouth again. He took a deep puff as he continued to watch the man just past the glass.

Flip knew he had to think this through. He couldn’t make any mistakes with this, knowing that you would get the consequences of it all. 

“ _ I’ll take care of her when I get back _ .” 

This repeated in Flip’s mind over and over. What could that mean? You were still alive, thank God, but for how long? What were they doing to you during all this time? He didn’t want to imagine the state in which you were in… 

“He’s not asking for a lawyer…” Flip furrowed his brows after something clicked in his brain. 

“Huh?” Ron turned his head to look at him. 

“He hasn’t called anyone.” Flip looked over to Ron, hoping he would get the connection. 

Flip took a sharp breath in through his nose, looking over to the chief. 

“He’s scared.” The chief nodded his head, making eye contact with Flip. 

“He doesn’t want Kronos knowing…” Ron finished his thought as Flip put out his cigarette. 

“Fucker probably thinks he can get out of here before he finds out.” 

Flip rolled his shoulders back as he took a deep breath. He needed to find a moment to question him… and this was it. 

“Okay…” Flip ran his hand through his hair, combing back some loose pieces. “Let’s go.” 

Ron and Flip nodded at each other before looking over to the chief. 

“Go find her.” Bridges gave a reassuring nod towards Flip before he crossed his arms over his chest. He was quick to turn his head, watching Alexander again.

“Yes, sir.” Flip took a deep breath, feeling his excitement build up again.

Flip followed Ron out of the room and into the hallway. Before Flip reached for the door handle, Ron grabbed his arm, stopping him from opening the interrogation room. 

“Wait-” Ron muttered. 

A wrinkle formed in between Flip’s eyebrows confused as to why he wanted to wait any longer. 

“What’s up?” Flip questioned, looking down at his hand holding him back. 

“I wanted to apologize…” Ron trailed off. He was looking around, not able to keep eye contact with Flip. 

“For what?” Flip chewed on the inside of his cheek as he started to get anxious. 

“Daniel Mitchell… I’m sorry I didn’t look into him…” 

“Oh-” 

Ron interrupted Flip by whispering your name. 

“She could have been home by now if I did…” Ron shook his head, guilt practically radiating off of him. 

“You’re a good detective for finding out about Alexander.” Ron took a deep breath, looking down at his feet as he lifted his hand. 

“Look,” Flip patted Ron on the shoulder. “It’s my fault for not coming in to help you. We would have found her sooner.” Flip watched as Ron lifted his head to look up at him. 

“No one is to blame for this.” Flip clenched his jaw. 

Ron was definitely not to blame, for any of it. Hell, he took a bullet for him. Flip briefly felt the guilt bubble up in his stomach. He knew if he had just been honest and had a plan from the beginning, there was a better chance none of this would have happened. Ron could have been spared. You could have been home…safe…happy. He quickly pushed those thoughts away as he focused back to one thing and one thing only. The most important thing. Finding you and bringing home to him. He couldn’t change the past, he had to accept it. He felt guilty, but he couldn’t afford to spiral. Not again. 

  
  


Flip watched as Ron nodded his head in agreement. 

“You ready?” Ron muttered. 

Flip felt the bile gurgling in his stomach as he looked down at him. He slowly nodded his head as he took a deep breath. He shut his eyes for a moment, clearing his mind. 

It took him everything in his power to do so. He forgot about the fight he had with you before you were taken. He forgot when he found your car and found your blood and scratch marks. He forgot about how heartbroken he was when he saw how you decorated for the holidays. 

Flip did a good job forgetting all that shit, leaving it behind before he interviewed Alexander. There was only one thing left in his mind, though. Something he would never forget. Something he would never move on from. 

How much he loved you. 

That was the only motivation to finally open his eyes and reach for the doorknob again. 

“Let’s go,” Flip whispered over to Ron before turning the handle. Ron handed Flip the case file before the door was slowly opened. 

The three men in the room were quiet as Flip settled into the chair, sitting across from Alexander. Ron stood against the wall, crossing his arms over his chest. 

Flip leaned back in his chair, grabbing his pack of cigarettes from his flannel pocket. Alexander sat in silence as he studied Flip light his cigarette. 

“Alexander Morris,” Flip muttered, exhaling smoke through his mouth. 

Flip clenched his jaw as he opened the case file, setting it on the table.

“Born and raised in Houston, Texas. Moved here after you graduated high school.” Flip cleared his throat. 

“Only child to Marsha and Dwight Morris.” 

Alexander shifted in his seat as Flip read the information off. 

“You joined the force in 2013 and-” 

“I’m surprised you’re even here, Phillip,” Alexander smirked over to the man sitting across from him. 

“And why is that?” Flip averted his eyes from the case file, looking over to Alexander. 

“Dunno.” Alexander shrugged his shoulders. “You’ve been cooped up in your home, drinking yourself to death.” 

“Wonder why that could be.” Alexander squinted over to Flip.

Flip felt his skin crawl with the laugh coming out of Alexander’s mouth. Flip watched as he sat back in his chair, the clinking of the handcuffs hitting against the metal of the table. 

“Is it because your girl is gone or the fact that she hates you?” Another smirk was flashed towards Flip.

“You know how the station is…everyone loves to talk about how detective Flip Zimmerman got his little girlfriend taken.” 

“I’m aware.” Flip nodded his head, trying his best to keep a straight face. 

He knew Alexander was trying to get under his skin. He wanted to see Flip break so he could get what he wanted. Flip being unstable enough to conduct the interview.

“Let’s talk about your boss.” Ron’s voice came from the corner. 

“Chief Bridges? What about him?” Alexander chuckled to himself. 

“You know who I’m talking about.” Ron walked over, taking a seat to sit next to Flip. 

“I have no clue, Stallworth.” Alexander leaned forward in his chair, staring at Ron. 

“According to your phone records, you do.” Ron reached for the case file, pulling out a piece of paper. 

“Here.” Ron pointed out to parts of the page that were highlighted. 

“You called the same number at least five times a day.” Ron pulled another sheet of paper out. 

“More so on the days of Daniel Mitchell’s murder and the kidnapping.” Ron slid the paper over to Alexander, giving him a better look. 

“How do you know that’s not my parents?” Alexander tried to slide the paper back over, but the handcuffs around his wrists didn’t let it go far. 

“See that’s what I thought,” Flip chimed in. “But we checked with them. They haven’t heard from you in years…not since you put them in a nursing home.” 

Smoke crept out of Flip’s nose as he rested his elbows against the table, leaning towards Alexander. 

“We looked through your phone… You were calling the same number when I approached you earlier.” Flip smirked over to the man in handcuffs. 

“You mentioned the name Adrik.” Flip took a sharp breath in as he leaned in a little closer. 

“Kronos’ real name.” Flip watched as Alexander’s eyes shifted between him and Ron. 

“You’re not fooling anyone, Alexander,” Ron added. 

Alexander kept quiet with this information. He shifted in his seat, causing the metal around his wrists to dig into his skin. 

Flip could see Alexander stewing in his chair, not knowing where to go from here. Flip blinked over to him, watching as he kept his mouth shut. 

Flip could see from the corner of his eye that Ron sat back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest again. The two detectives watched the man in front of them, trying to figure out their next play.

“You know what I can’t figure out?” Another smirk spread across Alexander’s face as he looked over to Flip. 

“What’s that?” Flip sighed.

“How your girlfriend figured out she was being followed before you did.” 

Flip could feel his heart skip a beat at his statement. He tried to control his breathing, feeling the anxiety building up just at the mention of this. 

“What are you talking about?” Flip tried to keep a straight face, trying his best not to feed into whatever game he was playing. 

“It took her a long time to realize…not the smartest of the bunch.” Alexander scoffed. “But she figured it out.” 

Flip clenched his jaw as Alexander explained. 

“Halloween is when she noticed.” 

Flip swallowed the lump in his throat as he tried his best to remember that day with you. The pumpkin patch, the picnic, and the Halloween party. 

“You two had so much fun that day…barely even noticed us.” Alexander laughed. 

“But then again how could you…your attention was towards…something else.” Alexander looked over to Ron as he laughed again.

“Those two are like rabbits, you know…fucking each other left and right.” Alexander shook his head before he looked back over to Flip. 

“Even with people around!” Alexander adjusted himself in his seat. 

“As if the picnic wasn’t enough for you two…you had to fuck on her front porch.” Alexander tsk-ed. 

“Thank you for the free show by the way,” Alexander smirked. 

Flip adjusted himself in his seat, feeling awkward. He didn’t need Ron and his chief to know his personal life…especially on this level. 

“We made it so obvious…you were just...distracted I guess.” Alexander shook his head at Flip, who was clenching his jaw again. 

Flip hoped he was doing a good job of hiding his anger that was creeping up. He blinked over as he took a couple of calming breaths, remembering his motivation. 

Flashes of his time with you on the porch flooded his mind, trying to remember any sign of you being followed. 

He couldn’t think of any…which made him feel worse. He knew he let his guard down around you, but this just confirmed it. 

“She noticed though. So jumpy, that one.” Alexander sat back in his chair. 

“She couldn’t stop looking behind her shoulder as she walked down her street the next day…” Alexander laughed. 

“We made a game out of it.” Alexander tilted his head towards Flip. “She never mentioned anything?” Alexander questioned sarcastically. 

“Wonder why she wouldn’t mention it to her boyfriend…who happens to be a shitty detective.” Alexander hummed to himself. 

“Hm, like I said…not the smartest of the bunch.” Alexander shrugged.

“She did tell you when we trashed her place right?” 

Memories of that morning ran through his mind, remembering the phone call he shared with you. He knew it had to be Kronos’ men that were behind it…he just didn’t know it was someone at the station. 

“She did.” Flip hissed through his teeth. 

“That’s when the two love birds moved in with each other.” Alexander hummed to himself. 

“I’m assuming that’s why you two moved in?” Alexander questioned. 

Flip stayed quiet, knowing that if he decided to react he would put Alexander’s head through the wall. 

“I’ll take that as a yes…so you’re welcome for that,” Alexander smirked over to him again. 

“Let’s talk about Daniel Mitchell.” Flip put out his cigarette.

“Who?” Alexander raised his eyebrows.

“Your old partner…before he was murdered.” Flip pulled out a picture of Mitchell from the case file, sliding it over to Alexander. 

“Oh...him.” Alexander nodded his head, not even looking at the picture. 

“We spoke with his wife.” Flip crossed his arms over his chest. 

“Hm…how is Janet? Is she handling widow life well?” Alexander chuckled to himself. 

“She mentioned after he was murdered you stopped checking in with her.” Flip studied Alexander as he looked around the interrogation room. 

“That’s odd, isn’t it?” Ron questioned as he looked over to Flip.

“That’s a bad partner if you ask me,” Ron added. 

“Funny…no one did ask you.” Alexander cleared his throat. “Coming from the man who he almost killed.” 

“But he didn’t.” Flip sat up in his chair. “And why did Mitchell shoot him?” Flip questioned. 

Alexander was looking around the room again, almost avoiding his question. 

“We found out about his debt…the medical bills were piling up, trying to help his daughter.” Flip pulled another piece of paper out of the case file. Receipts and various letters from Mitchell’s bank. 

“Proof he was getting loan after loan until they denied him any more.” Flip snapped his fingers, trying to get Alexander’s attention. 

“We think Kronos approached him, willing to pay his debt off.” 

“How observant of you, Zimmerman.” Alexander clenched his jaw as he looked over to Flip. 

“Looks like you know what happened when he didn’t follow through with his side of the deal.” Ron flipped through the case file, pulling out a picture from the autopsy report. 

Flip studied Alexander as his eyes slowly wandered over to the picture, blinking at it with a blank expression. 

“I don’t know how someone could do that to their own partner…especially after taking care of his family for so long.” Flip slid the picture closer to him, noticing Alexander turned his head away again. 

“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” Alexander whispered. 

“Seems like we do.” Flip cleared his throat, sitting up in his chair again. 

“Kronos was so quick to tie up loose ends, getting rid of Mitchell…” Flip shook his head, looking over to Ron. 

“Didn’t even have a second thought.” Ron shrugged his shoulders. 

“What do you think he’s going to do when he finds out Alexander told us everything?” Flip smirked as he asked Ron. It was a moment before he turned his head, looking back over to Alexander. 

“What the fuck are you talking about?” Alexander’s face twisted with confusion. 

“You think he’s going to believe you? I’ve been loyal to him for years now.” Alexander scoffed over to the two men sitting across from him. 

“You know him better than anyone…you know he has trust issues.” Flip shrugged his shoulders. He leaned forwards, digging through the case file again. 

“What?” Alexander leaned forward, trying to see what Flip was looking at. 

“It was known that his family member was an informant against him.” Flip lifted his eyes off the paper, watching as Alexander chewed on the inside of his cheek.

“Nicolaj. Yes, I know.” Alexander rolled his eyes. 

“You also knew that Kronos killed him, himself.” Flip pulled another picture. The damage that was done to Nicolaj when Kronos found out. An ‘X’ carved into his bare chest. 

“There.” Flip tapped his index finger over it. “That’s his signature.” 

Alexander took a deep breath as he followed Flip’s finger.

“He only does it on the people he kills himself.” Ron leaned in, whispering. 

“I’m sure he’s looking forward to marking you up, especially when he hasn’t heard from you in so long.” Flip slid the picture closer as Alexander chewed on his bottom lip. 

There was a moment of silence as Alexander’s eyes were still glued on the picture in front of him. A wrinkle formed in between Flip’s eyebrows as he watched him. 

Flip knew he couldn’t push his limits, considering Alexander was his only lead. It was the only thing he had that could get you back. The only thing that was giving him hope…he knew he shouldn’t push it, but he had to try. 

“Where is she?” Flip kept his voice low, trying not to scare him. 

Flip watched as Alexander lifted his eyes from the photo, meeting his gaze. 

“We can protect you,” Flip whispered. 

“Just like you did with Nicolaj?” Alexander’s voice cracked. 

He was just as scared as Flip was. Of course, it was for different reasons, but it was all because of one man. Abigor Kronos. This man was in control of something important to them and they needed to find a way out. 

“We know what we did wrong with Nicolaj,” Flip whispered over as he watched Alexander take a shaky breath in. 

“We left him alone in the safe house.” Flip took a quick breath. “We won’t make the same mistake with you.” Flip stressed. 

“We will keep you alive.” Flip could feel his heart pounding against his chest. 

“Tell me how to get to her.” Flip watched as Alexander’s bottom lip trembled. 

“What about him? What are you going to do about him?” Alexander’s voice shook as he whispered over to Flip. 

“We’re going to take care of him.” Flip nodded his head. “Don’t worry.” 

Flip sat up in his chair watching as Alexander looked around the room again. He was in deep thought as he lifted his head, staring up at the ceiling. 

Everything went silent in the room. Flip couldn’t hear the metal chain around Alexander’s wrists as it rubbed against the table. He couldn’t hear the AC blowing through the vent or the people walking by in the halls just outside the door. 

The only thing he heard was his heart pounding in his ears. He fidgeted with a loose strand of material hanging out the bottom of his flannel as he sat there. Twirling the string in his fingers as he waited.

The anticipation was building, finding out if he was going to help him or not. His answer would decide your fate and Flip didn’t know if he could wait any longer. 

Flip was more than ready to find you, bringing you back home to him. It was where you belonged, even if you did still hate him. 

Flip leaned forward in his seat when Alexander lowered his head from his to look over to Flip. The confidence that Alexander was once radiating was gone now. 

“They’re in the old train station downtown,” Alexander mumbled. 

Flip sat up straighter in his chair at this, feeling a sense of relief come over him. He looked over to Ron for a moment who was looking back at the mirror behind him. Flip knew he was gesturing for the chief to come in. It was a few minutes before Alexander continued.

“He’s in the office building behind the lobby.” Alexander’s eyes averted to the door of the room opening. 

Chief Bridges walked in with a map, spreading it across the table. 

“Here?” Flip stood from his chair, pointing at a part of the map. 

“Yeah. He’s on the second floor where the executive offices were…he lives there.” Alexander looked over to Flip. 

“The girl. Where is she?” Bridges brows furrowed as he kept his eyes on the map. 

"She’s on the top floor of the same building. He doesn’t like to be near his…” Alexander trailed off as he looked over to Flip. “His victims…” His voice was quiet as he said this.

Flip couldn’t help but run his hand through his hair, trying not to think about you being tortured. 

“He doesn’t like to hear them crying…” Alexander averted his eyes, looking down at the ground as Flip took a deep breath. 

“What’s the security like?” Ron stood from his chair, hoping to distract him. 

“The lobby in the front is where he has most of his men. I don’t know…” Alexander shrugged. “Five or six men.” 

“All armed I’m assuming,” Flip mumbled. 

“Bingo.” Alexander nodded his head. 

“Two men for each him and her.” Alexander focused on the map. “Both outside their door.” 

Flip rested his hands over his hips as he paced around the room. He was starting to get anxious, not knowing if he could pull this off. You were so close to him, yet you were still so far. 

“We will need your help when we get there, Alexander.” Bridges' voice broke the silence as he directed his statement to Alexander. 

This made Flip stop in his tracks, looking over to the man still handcuffed. He was chewing on his bottom lip, shaking his head. 

“They’re going to try and kill me the minute they see me.” Alexander looked over to Flip. 

“You said it yourself…they’re going to know I told you everything.” He continued to shake his head. 

“Listen…” Flip walked over, taking his seat again. “You’ll be next to me or Ron the entire time.” Flip tried to reassure him as he leaned forward. 

“We got your back.” Ron chimed in.

“Please,” A wrinkle formed in between Flip’s eyebrows. “I need to get her back.” 

Alexander looked between the three men in front of him, mostly focusing on Flip. Flip couldn’t help the pleading eyes he gave him, begging him for his help. He knew Alexander was a shitty criminal and that he deserved to rot in prison…but if he could help him get you back, then that didn’t matter. At least not until you were home. 

“Goddammit.” Alexander hissed through his teeth. “Fine.” 

“Okay,” Bridges grabbed the map from the table, folding it up. 

“I’ll get a small team together and will brief them. Stallworth and Zimmerman come with me.” Bridges turned around, heading for the door. 

“Wait.” Flip looked over towards the door, seeing that Ron and Bridges were halfway out the door. 

“I’ll be there in a minute,” Flip mumbled over, hoping to have a moment alone with Alexander.

Bridges stayed quiet for a moment, his eyes shifting between the two men. 

“Alright...” Bridges nodded his head before turning around to walk out. 

Ron shut the door behind him, leaving the two alone in the interrogation room. 

“Can I ask you something?” Flip’s voice was low, almost scared to even ask. 

“What is it?” A wrinkle formed in between Alexander’s eyebrows. 

“How…how is she?” Flip bit down on his bottom lip. 

“What?” Alexander’s face twisted with confusion. 

“Is she okay?” Flip shook his head, running a hand through his hair. 

“She’s been gone for a long time…I just wanna know if she’s safe…that she’s okay.” Flip went back to fidgeting with the loose string on his flannel. 

“Look, man…” Alexander trailed off, looking around the room once again to avoid eye contact. 

“Tell me the truth.” Flip didn’t mean for it to come out aggressive…he was just sick of everyone babying him. Everyone was just so careful with him, worried they would hurt his feelings. 

He knew whatever he said would hurt him, forever reminding him of the pain he put you through, but this was the closest he’s been to you in weeks. Alexander was probably the last one to see you and Flip needed to know that you were still in existence. 

“She’s barely hanging on.” Alexander muttered. 

“What?” Flip sat up a little straighter.

“That’s what he wanted…” Alexander trailed off. “Deprive her of the things she needs until she goes insane…” 

“Fuck.” Flip chewed on the inside of his cheek. He shook his head, not wanting to believe what he was saying. 

“We don’t have a lot of time,” Alexander whispered. 

“You thought she had a target on her back before…” Alexander lifted his head to look over to Flip. 

“Once he finds out we’re coming on my behalf, he’s going to take matters into his own hands.” Alexander swallowed the lump in his throat as he continued to stare up at Flip. 

“They weren’t before?” Flip questioned. 

“No. He put me in charge of her…” Alexander once again looked away, almost feeling bad for what he put you through. Things Flip didn’t want to think about… 

“She’s…alive.” Alexander took a deep breath. 

“Like I said…we need to hurry.” He finally made eye contact with Flip, nodding his head. 

“Before it’s too late.” 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What did you guys think? 
> 
> You guys can reach me on my socials:   
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	31. Damn your love, damn your lies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay... a couple of things!!
> 
> I'm in the middle of working on something extra special for you guys!!! hint: you guys will be able to have a little of BTC everywhere you go! ;) 
> 
> Also... there are some hidden lyrics in this chapter, so keep your eye out for that!!
> 
> -dal

  
  


Darkness. That’s all you could see for most of the day anymore. Ever since they blocked your windows, it was hard to see anything. 

Sometimes when the sun was at its highest point, a little ray of light would sneak past the wooden boards. It didn’t show you a lot, unfortunately. It did show the chain that was around your left ankle, tying you down like some sort of flight risk.

The only other thing in the room other than you was a wooden desk in the opposite corner of you. It was covered in dust, just like the wooden floors you laid on. You would look forward to when that little ray of light would shine down on the floor, letting you count the footprints left by the men watching over you. It was your favorite thing to do that would pass the time. 

Every day they would walk in, adding more footprints and ruining your count. They had no idea that every time they did that, they would ruin your day a little more. You had to find something to keep you sane.

You couldn’t keep track of how much time has passed since you’ve been here. Has it been days? Weeks? Shit, you couldn’t tell anymore. Your days were blending together and your obvious head injury wasn’t helping the situation. 

“Ow.” You lifted your hand to the back of your head, flinching as you grazed your fingers over the dried blood on your scalp. 

For however long you’ve been here, you tried to remember what happened. Tried to remember how you got here and why. 

You could pick up little bits and pieces of what happened, but the last thing you remembered clearly was Flip. Specifically, the fight you had outside the station with him. 

“ _ I hate you _ .” 

Your words were repeated in your mind over and over since you’ve been gone. Did you mean it or was it just something you said in the moment? 

You were having a difficult time deciding.

You loved the man, you couldn’t deny that, but you were starting to second guess everything that happened in the last couple of months. It was amazing what the few words he spoke to his chief would do to you. He told you he didn’t mean those things, that he was lying. He wanted you to believe him, but you didn’t know if you could… 

He was only with you for the case, yet he claimed that he loved you…it couldn’t be both, so which was it? 

You were just as torn when you yanked your arm away from him, rushing to call Jen. She was trying to be supportive, hearing how hurt you were. You could tell she didn’t want to say ‘I told you so.’ 

At least not yet.

She instructed you to head to her place, knowing you weren’t ready to go back to his. The decorations you put up for him would just make things worse. 

The holidays were something you were looking forward to, knowing it was the first Christmas you would spend with Flip. You were also excited that you would be there for him during Hanukkah. He would finally have someone to celebrate with…

Every time you thought back to how excited he would be, it just came crumbling down when you heard his words repeating in your mind. 

“ _ It’s for the case… It’s the only reason why she’s still around _ .” 

Maybe you did hate him. You certainly deserved to. 

Even if his words were a lie, he was still an ass for not telling the truth. To you or his chief. Why would he be ashamed of being with you? Maybe he was always ashamed of you. He never brought you around anyone he knew except Ron. Maybe it was because he was embarrassed by you… 

You remembered you kept thinking over everything when you got off the phone with Jen. Your mind immediately went to that first night at the bar. What if you were his last resort of the night? What if he tried to be with some other girl and it just didn’t work out for him? Maybe that was part of the reason he was embarrassed by you. Why he didn’t want you to come to the station. 

Why did he consistently seek you out then? That night at the hospital when he asked for your number…you couldn’t explain that one. Unless he was really into you? He almost didn’t take no for an answer, so maybe he was just being a dumbass and didn’t know what to say to his chief? Maybe he really did love you… 

“ _ It’s the only reason why she’s still around _ .”

But maybe you did hate him. 

You had to take deep breaths when the road was starting to get blurry from the tears in your eyes. You knew it wasn’t the safest to be driving in this condition, but you just had to get out of there. You couldn’t be near him anymore. You needed to be as far away from him as possible. 

Of course you didn’t mean that literally, but someone took it into their own hands to make that happen. 

You were driving down the country road towards Jen’s house when something seemed off. At first, you didn’t pay attention to the black SUV trailing behind you. You were so worried about your relationship with Flip that you didn’t even think anything about it. 

It wasn’t until they got closer to your car that it sparked a little bit of anxiety in you. You tried to brush it off and thought that they were in a rush, trying to make it to their destination. Even though they seemed like they needed somewhere to be, they never switched lanes… 

That’s when things started to get blurry. 

You couldn’t remember how or why you blacked out. You tried to puzzle everything together as you looked around, seeing that your car was somehow on the side of the road. Your mind was fuzzy, which gave away that you hit your head in the crash. You tried to shake it off, looking around as you saw the same SUV a few feet in front of your car. 

Your mind immediately thought of them texting while driving, not paying enough attention to the road. You were getting ready to unbuckle your seatbelt and check on them when you saw the driver step out of the car. You noticed it was a man in a grey suit and slicked-back hair as he walked over to you.

You took a deep breath, glad that they were okay. You shook your head again, trying to blink the blurry vision away. You were so tired…it was a chore just to keep your eyes open. You were glad someone was with you, given the obvious concussion you sustained during the crash. You felt a sense of relief when you saw the man reaching into his coat pocket. He was probably calling 911. You just hoped a certain cop didn’t come. 

But there was a shift in energy when he didn’t pull out his cell phone. Clearly, you weren’t seeing straight, since it looked like he pulled out a gun. No fucking way that’s what he had on him. 

You brushed it off as your eyes were starting to get heavy. You tried your best to blink your eyes open as you saw another man stepping out of the car. Something was in his hands also…was that…a crowbar? 

By the time you could react, your glass window was being shattered, hit by the crowbar that was in fact, real. 

“What the-” You could feel your head spinning as you looked over to your window, seeing the man clearing out the rest of the glass with the crowbar. 

“Looks like someone bumped their head…” The man trailed off as he tsk-ed down at you. 

The man standing outside your car reached in and grabbed your arm, pulling you towards him. 

“What the fuck are you doing?” You wanted to shout it over to him, but it came out as a whisper. You were starting to lose your energy, not knowing how much longer you could stay awake.

“You have someone who’s been wanting to meet you.” 

That was the last thing you heard before being yanked out through your car window. You tried holding onto whatever was in arms reach, still feeling your nails aching from scratching your dashboard. What little energy you had left failed you as you were being dragged across the pavement.

You remembered something going over your head and your wrists being bound together. That moment up until you were brought into this room wasn’t coming back into your mind. 

The man that drove the car and had the gun was the only person you saw from then on. You only saw him every three days when he threw a water bottle and a few snacks. This was the only time you were given anything to eat or drink. It was almost like they wanted to barely keep you alive, making you suffer for as long as they could. 

Dying a slow death. 

You knew what they were doing. You just hoped that your family would get closure when it eventually happened. You could imagine the tears falling as people spoke about you, wishing that your life was spared. 

Would Flip say something? Would he tell everyone what he said about you? Telling everyone the actual truth…even if you didn’t get to hear it, it was only fair that your family did. 

You didn’t want to think about him though. You didn’t want to think about how worried Jen or your family was, praying that you would come home. No. You had to distract yourself. 

With what was left of the beam of light, you decided to count the footprints. You hoped it would be enough to distract you. 

_ One…two…three… _

How many days has it been since you’ve been here?

_ Four…five…six… _

You hoped you didn’t miss Christmas. 

_ Seven…eight…nine… _

You for sure missed Hanukkah… 

_ Ten...eleven…twelve… _

Of course, this made your mind wander over to Flip again. Every single time you thought about him, you could feel your eyes start to water, reliving the pain you experienced that day. 

How did he react to all the decorations you put up? Did he like them? Did they make him miss you? Maybe he took them down...

You couldn’t help but wonder how he was handling everything. Maybe he was lying to his chief? Would he be kicking himself, doing anything he could to find you? Or was he completely fine with you being gone? Maybe he was relieved, grateful this came up so he didn’t have to break up with you…a weight off of his shoulders. One less burden to deal with. 

Goddammit. Not only did you lose count, but you also lost your only source of light. You couldn’t tell if you were crying about that or Flip at this point…

You would have to start your count again in the morning. 

It was easy for you to sleep. You were always tired back at home. You would just make coffee to keep you up. This situation was different, though. You had no caffeine, the little amount of nutrients being put into your body and the untreated concussions didn’t seem to help. It was torture in itself. 

The pain never left you, not even in your sleep. The headaches you had were constant, seldom going away. Just gnawing at you until you eventually passed out. Some nights were worse than others, crying yourself to sleep from the body aches.

Even when you were starving and had food in front of you, nausea would overcome you. The times you did vomit, you would do it in the bucket they so lovingly provided you. Sometimes, the only thing keeping you sane would be the thing that hurt you the most. You flinched every time you looked at that beam of light from a certain angle. 

  
  


“Rise and shine, sleeping beauty…” 

You found out his name was Alexander. Coming in from time to time, to break what little spirit you had left. 

“Another day and you’re still here with us…what a shame.” He tsk-ed down at you. 

You didn’t care what he would say to you, as long as he didn’t wander towards the left, ruining your count for the day. You stayed quiet, not risking it. You stared at the last footprint you counted before he interrupted you. 128. Your highest number. You felt something spark in you that you haven't felt for a while. Hope. 

“What are you staring at?” He mumbled, turning his head to follow your gaze. 

Shit. 

You didn’t need him walking over there, but you couldn’t risk looking away and losing your place. 

“Answer me!” Alexander shouted, walking across the room. 

“Are you fucking kidding me?” You shouted as you watched his feet walk across the footprint you were staring at. You blinked over to him, tears starting to roll down your cheeks. 

“Oh, she finally speaks.” 

All your hard work this morning…just down the drain. You were embarrassed by the sobs leaving your mouth, feeling your sanity slowly slipping away from you. 

“Fucking asshole..” you whispered, looking up at him as he stepped towards you. 

“What was that sweetheart?” Alexander crouched down in front of you. “I didn’t hear that.” 

“I said- _ oof. _ ” 

Alexander’s hand slapped across your cheek, knocking you onto your back. Your back was pressed firmly onto the hardwood floor as you stared up at the ceiling. You could taste blood starting to fill into your mouth, twisting your face to the metallic taste filling your tastebuds. 

Intense dizziness took over you, your nails scratching at the floor beneath you. You were trying extremely hard to keep yourself grounded, feeling like the whole room was spinning. 

You blinked your eyes a few times, trying to focus on what was in front of you. You could have sworn you saw flashes of that famous flannel in your vision.

“Flip?” you whispered, shaking your head.

It only made your headache worse, you tried to snap out of it. Of course, he wasn’t here with you. It wasn’t real...right? 

“Flip…” You whispered again, seeing him look down at you. He almost seemed disappointed as he clenched his jaw. Like he knew you were holding on for too long. 

You could have sworn you saw Flip turn away from you, feeling a draft as he walked away. When he turned his back on you, he took the only sense of hope you had left. What little you had left of your sanity. 

“He’s not going to come for you, darling…” Alexander’s voice came out of nowhere as your eyes grew heavy again. 

“No one is.” 

After that, everything changed. You slept more, not feeling motivated to stay up. When you weren’t sleeping, you spent your time crying. You were trying to come to the reality that Alexander was right. No one was looking for you. They weren’t going to come and rescue you. 

Those fucking footprints. 

They taunted you day after day, just sitting there as you cried. Every time you would glance at them you would flinch, being reminded that you were a failure. That you weren’t worth saving. 

“Fuck you.” You muttered under your breath. 

You struggled as you stood up, grabbing onto the wall as you wobbled. You stood there dizzy, not surprising considering this was the first time you stood on your feet. 

The chain around your ankle slid across the wooden floor as you took a step forward. You still had to grab the wall for support, frustrated at your unsteady gait. You took a few more steps forward, coming up on the footprints you once counted as your friend. 

You blinked a few times, trying to gather enough energy to stand up straight. You lifted your head as you took a deep breath, trying to steady yourself. It took you a bit, but you managed. 

That’s when you moved onto your next task. 

Your hands then worked over your jacket, slowly slipping your arms out. You whimpered in pain as you shimmied it off, dropping it to the floor. 

What you were doing was insane, you knew that. But you couldn’t handle it anymore. You knew it was some fucked up way to cope. Thinking that one day, if you eventually finished the task of counting them, you would be able to go home. They would spare your life as a reward… 

Yeah fucking right. 

So you did what any person would do in this situation. You dropped down to your knees and grabbed your jacket, wiping the footprints away. 

You couldn’t clean the entire room considering you were still fucking tied down. So you did what you could, cleaning around the radius of the chain, the little space that it allowed you. 

You sat there on your knees, looking at your work. You didn’t know if you wanted to laugh or cry. So you sat there quietly for a few minutes staring at the blank canvas in front of you. 

Your body decided on crying as you felt a tear rolling down your cheek. 

How did this happen? 

You just wanted to be home. You just wanted to look at Christmas lights, missing the feeling it gave you. It would light up your face, making you miss being a kid. You would look around at everyone’s Christmas spirit, reminding you of why this was your favorite time of year. 

You wanted to have one last night with Jen, eating take out and bonding over a glass of wine. Laughing at what ridiculous things happened at work and just blowing off steam. 

You wanted to have one more home-cooked meal with your family. Your brother would sit quietly on the couch until whatever team he was rooting for scored, yelling in celebration. You would try to keep up with Evan as he ran around the living room, playing off his extra energy. 

Then there was Flip. 

This one wasn’t easy for you. 

Before any of this shit happened, you knew he gave you a sense of security…hope even. You never knew you were capable of loving someone that much. 

Did you still love him? Did you hate him?? You still weren’t sure how you felt about everything… 

You did say it wasn’t going to be easy. 

But the thing you wanted most right now was your Mom. You just wanted her to hug you and tell you that everything was going to be okay. That you could get through this. 

All of those things seemed so far-fetched now. 

You wiped your tears with the back of your hand as a whistling noise stole your attention. You blinked over towards the window, as the whistling continued. 

You managed to pick yourself off the floor, shuffling over towards the window. You shut your eyes for a moment, recognizing the sound. 

You fluttered your eyes open as you stepped closer to the window. You stood there listening to the wind blow through the boards. You could feel the cold breeze slapping against your face as you stood there. 

You squeezed your eyes shut remembering the picnic Flip took you on. The weather was warmer, remembering the wind blowing your dress around. You were so happy that day… 

You shot your eyes open, wanting to think about something else. You decided to bring your face a little closer to where the wind was coming from. 

There was an opening between the boards, knowing it probably went unnoticed by Alexander. 

“Fuck!” You tried to keep your voice down as you whipped your head in the other direction. It only made your headache worse, shaking your head like that. The bright light shining through the hole made your entire head screech with pain. You lifted your hands up to your eyes, gently rubbing them. 

You took a deep breath, slowly opening your eyes again. You knew what you were expecting this time… 

You squint your eyes as the red and yellow tones screamed at your vision. You tried to hold on for as long as you could, considering your head was in excruciating pain. You just couldn’t help it, though. When would be the next time you would be able to watch the sunrise? 

“Shit,” you hissed through your teeth. You squeezed your eyes shut, praying that the pain in your head would just go away. 

You turned your back against the window, wondering if it was still worth the pain. You fluttered your eyes open, looking around the room. 

You were starting to get dizzy again, seeing as multiple shadows grow across the room. You didn’t know if what you were seeing was real. You shook your head again, sucking in a breath through your teeth as your head pounded with pain. 

You felt yourself flinching, taking a few steps to the side as you tried to catch yourself from falling. The metal chain sliding across the floor stole your attention though. You looked over watching as the shadows moved to where your corner was. 

A wrinkle formed in between your eyebrows as they called your name, wanting you to join them. 

You couldn’t help the giggle slipping your lips as you shuffled over, running through the shadows. 

You went right back to your spot on the floor. Your new home. You did the same two things. Cry and sleep. Your new form of comfort. 

You could barely even stomach the food they brought you anymore. You would only eat a few bites, getting rid of your growling stomach. It would keep you up, making you toss and turn. When it was really bad, that was when you decided to put something in your belly. Not even to survive. It was solely for the fact that you wanted to go back to sleep. 

Even when Alexander would come in to bother you, even he could tell you were slipping into hopelessness.

Alexander would make his way over to you, talking shit about how you were forgotten by so many people, just left for dead. When he stood over you, he lifted his leg, turning you to face him with his foot. You sucked in a breath as he pressed on your ribs, trying not to scream in pain.

“You’re breaking my heart, darling…” Alexander shook his head down at you. 

You wished he was telling you the truth. Something to show you he had good still in him. That he was still human… 

“You’re going to ruin the hardwood floor with all those fucking tears.” 

Just like that, he was back to being the monster he was so good at being. You knew he would be the reason why you would die. The question was, when would that be? Would it be sooner rather than later? Or would he take it upon himself to prolong your life with him for as long as possible? 

A couple of days went by before someone walked through your door again. Only this time, it wasn’t Alexander. Another voice, one that you didn’t recognize, called your name until you woke up. 

You flinched as you sat up, looking over to a man standing over you in a suit. You blinked the tiredness out of your eyes as you tilted your head at him. 

“I’ve seen you before…” You whispered as you looked up at the man in front of you. 

You twisted your face as you focused on him, trying your hardest to pinpoint where you’ve seen him.

“That’s correct.” His deep voice snuck past his smirk. 

“D-Do I know you?” Your eyes started to wander, paying special attention to his shirt. 

His dress shirt was unbuttoned at the top, revealing a part of his chest. You blinked a few times, trying your hardest to see straight. Just past his chest hair, you could see some sort of scar…it was in a weird shape, almost in the letter ‘X.’ 

“Hasn’t anyone ever told you that staring is rude?” His deep voice turned harsh, gathering attitude quickly. 

You chewed on the inside of your lip as you looked up at him again. He was already staring at you, almost admiring how broken you were. His eye twitched down at you as a smile spread across his face.

“You know...” The man started to pace back and forth as he stuffed his hands into his pockets. 

“I was surprised when Phillip didn’t tell you about me.” The man’s laugh coming out of his mouth caused your skin to crawl. 

“Phillip?” You whispered to yourself. 

You were embarrassed at the fact that you sat up at his name. That was your confirmation that they knew about Flip. 

Were these assholes stalking you? You figured the black SUVs you kept seeing around Halloween were connected with them. Hell, one of them ran you off the road. 

“Pardon me..” The man took a quick breath as he walked over to the desk in the opposite corner of you. He grabbed onto the office chair tucked underneath, rolling it loudly towards you. 

“You know him as Flip.” The man took a seat, looking down at you like he was some sort of royalty. 

“You two were together for a while, living together and everything.” The man unbuttoned his suit coat. 

“And yet you have no fuckin’ clue who I am.” The man laughed again. “It’s never too late for an introduction, though…you start.” The man held out his hand towards you. 

When you didn’t say anything, the man scooted his chair closer towards you.

You couldn’t help but flinch, stuttering your name to the stranger in front of you. 

“See? That wasn’t so hard. My name is Abigor Kronos.” The man smirked down at you, leaning back in his chair again. 

You couldn’t help but notice his right hand slipping into his pants pocket again. He was fidgeting with something in it, almost like he was keeping a secret. 

That name…you’ve heard that name before. You just couldn’t remember from where or what. If he knows Flip, maybe Flip knows him? 

Flip didn’t have any family so that wasn’t where you heard that name… 

The shooting range. He mentioned a family friend that owned land. It was a farm... but looking at the outfit this man was wearing, it was safe to say that he wasn’t the same guy. 

The only other place he could know Flip was from work…

You blinked over to Abigor, finally realizing where you knew him from. 

“I read about you…” You whispered, tilting your head over to him. 

You remembered it perfectly now. The case file on Flip’s bedside table. He was some sort of mobster or something, always running away before anyone could catch them. And those pictures…you couldn’t handle seeing the pictures… 

That’s when your eyes darted over to his chest again. 

His “signature”, if you will. 

“Ah. You remembered something.” Abigor chuckled, slipping his hand out of his pocket.

Your eyes moved over, seeing an item now in his hand. You felt your breath start to quicken when you realized it was a pocket switch. 

Note to self. Stop fucking looking at his scar. 

“I remembered the first time I saw you…” Abigor leaned over in his seat, showing his knife over to you. 

“The police station.” Your bottom lip trembled as you remembered that day. Flip was stressed when some uniform cop brought him in for a busted tail light. 

“Smart girl,” Abigor smirked down at you, twirling the tip of the knife on one of his fingertips. “But not smart enough…” 

“What?” You whispered at him. You could feel your eyes starting to tear up, blurring your vision. 

“He tried so hard to keep you safe…” He shook his head, leaning back in his chair again. 

“We watched you two very closely.” Abigor was now smiling to himself. 

“He spent all that time putting locks around your place and yet we still got in…” He started slowly twirling himself in the chair, staring at the ceiling. 

“You didn’t even mention us following you!” Abigor laughed. “And your boyfriend is a fuckin’ cop!” 

You felt like your mind was going a mile a minute, trying to figure out what was going on. The locks? Flip was trying to protect you?

“Oh, and you two were so cute at The Bishkek…I’m assuming you two had a lovely time, especially in the bathroom.” Abigor threw the knife in the air, catching the handle perfectly. 

The Bishkek. You remembered how weird Flip was acting that night. Did he know you were being followed? Did he see Kronos at the bar that night? Was that the reason he was so off?

“W-Why?” You kept your voice low, not wanting to make any sudden reactions. 

“Why what?” Abigor sat up, looking down at you. 

“Why all of this?” You held your arms up, gesturing around the room. “Why me?” 

You watched as Abigor slowly stood from his chair, throwing the knife again in his hand. You swallowed the lump in your throat as you watched the handle land in the palm of his hand. 

It all happened so quickly. As soon as the handle landed in his palm he straddled you, pinning you to the ground. You couldn’t help but look up at him with frantic eyes when you realized the tip of the blade was digging into your chest. 

You were scared to even look down at it. You were worried that if you took your eyes off of him he would do something permanent. 

“Phillip should have learned his lesson when I sent that dumbass cop to kill him.” Abigor laughed in your face as he dug the blade in a little deeper, causing searing pain to spread across your chest. 

“W-What?” You couldn’t help the sobs coming from your mouth. 

“He was a dumbass and shot his partner, but still.” Abigor looked down at your chest, twirling the blade only an inch. 

“Ron?” Your eyes widened realizing what was being said. 

It could have been Flip on that hospital bed you were bringing back to life. It could have been Flip in pain and with tubes coming out of his chest…he could have been hurt or even worse. Dead. 

“Keep up.” Abigor hissed your name. 

“What does that have to do with me?” You flinched again, trying to push the thought away of the knife being held against your chest. 

“See, he was my main target, even after he presented you to me at the station,” Abigor smirked down at you. 

“Pretty little thing, just standing there…still high off a new relationship.” Abigor rolled his eyes.

“When that cop shot the wrong man and he continued to investigate me, that’s when I found a new target.” Abigor lifted one eyebrow as he smirked. 

“You.” Abigor lifted the knife off of your chest, causing a sob to come out of your mouth. 

“He’s in over his head here.” Abigor retracted the blade, standing up. 

“He will never save you.” Abigor laughed, sliding the chair across the room. 

That was the last thing you heard before the door to your room was slammed shut, leaving you alone with your thoughts. 

Flip Zimmerman…protecting you after all this time. Which meant one thing. 

He was telling you the truth. 

He loved you and was trying to protect you from this asshole. Putting locks around your place and hell, even teaching you how to shoot a gun. It was all because he wanted to protect you… 

Thinking back to little moments…you could tell now that he was scared. He didn’t want anything to happen to you.

You laid back down on your side, shutting your eyes as you tried to imagine Flip. The tears wouldn’t stop as you remembered the diner. The necklace that you lost in the crash…the only piece you had of him left…was just gone forever. 

Even if he was telling you the truth, he still lied. He had so many opportunities to tell you about this. Sure, it probably wouldn’t have prevented much, but there are some things you don’t hide. A crazed criminal trying to end your life was one of them...

Your mind didn’t stop working until you started to drift off. You couldn’t stop thinking about your decision…

Maybe you didn’t hate him after all. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HOW ARE WE FEELING?!
> 
> tiktok: spookydal  
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	32. Goodbye...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Someone suggested a song in the last chapter (A Final Sacrafice by Luke Richards), so I decided to listen to it while writing this chapter... You guys should give it a listen while you read... 
> 
> enjoy  
> -dal

“ _ I’m coming for you, baby _ .” 

That was the only thing Flip kept thinking about. He could sense you here, almost like you were calling out to him. He couldn’t contain his adrenaline as he cocked his pistol back, looking around as he stood behind one of the train cars. 

The place was a dump. Mattress’ torn to shreds, pieces of paper blowing around and broken glass crunching under his boots.

The empty train station has been used for years, with many failures of trying to revamp it. The building was a boring shade of brick with a few shattered windows on different levels. The lobby was on the first floor with the executive offices behind it. The building had to be at least 20 floors high. Flip knew you were at the very top. He couldn’t help but wonder which window was yours, hoping you would be able to at least look outside or even get a moment of fresh air.

Flip shook his head to himself knowing that he had to remain focused in order to take you away from this shit hole. He was finally going to bring you home, no matter the cost. 

He took another steadying breath in as he turned his head over, looking at Ron. 

Ron was signaling to a handful of men and women, donned in tactical vests and helmets. Flip watched as Ron told them to get into position, making sure they were ready for whatever they would be walking into. Ron was in charge of this operation on account he was still the lead investigator on your case. 

Flip clenched his jaw as he looked at the man hiding behind Ron. Cowering behind him as Alexander tightened his vest around his chest. Alexander shifted where he stood, nodding his head every so often as he confirmed Ron’s orders. 

Flip could see him stuttering from here, conferring guidance on how to approach the building and the men inside. He fidgeted with his hands, being the only one not granted a firearm. Flip knew he should be more grateful for Alexander, giving your location after weeks and weeks of nothing. But Flip saw him for what he was. Scum. 

Flip shook his head, shutting his eyes as he felt the cold wind slapping across his face. He needed to clear his mind again. He didn’t need to be distracted when he was this close to you. You were still at risk when you weren’t with him. 

“ _ I’m coming for you, baby _ .” 

He repeated to himself one last time before turning his head again. Ron was already looking back at him, ignoring everyone else around them. 

Flip watched as a wrinkle formed in between Ron’s eyebrows, nodding his head once. He wasn’t just asking if Flip was ready, he was asking him if he was okay. Making sure he was ready for whatever outcome this could end in. Making sure he was ready to see you, knowing it wasn’t going to be you anymore… 

Flip nodded his head instantly, not having to think about his silent question. Flip wouldn’t stop until you were back at home with him. 

Ron nodded his head once again before he turned his head towards the multiple officers hidden behind the other train cars. Flip could feel his heart battering against his chest, waiting for Ron’s signal. Waiting to finally stop the man who they’ve been chasing for years and to get what Flip’s been wanting for the longest time. 

You. 

Ron nodded his head towards the other officers surrounding him, finally giving the signal for the first wave to move forward. 

Flip felt antsy as he stood there, waiting for his wave to proceed forward. He argued with Ron and Bridges, knowing he should be in the front line. Flip was instructed to stay in the back with Ron, making sure they kept Abigor’s men away from Alexander. 

Flip was still upset with this decision. He didn’t want to hide in the back while some dick cop you didn’t know was the one to save you. It wasn’t right. 

You would be scared shitless when they busted through the door, guns in your face as they made sure the room was secure. It would fucking traumatize you and he wasn’t going to let that happen. 

If anyone thought he would just hang back while someone else took care of you, they were dead wrong. 

Flip didn’t know how, but he would be the one to get you. He just needed to find the perfect opportunity. Ron and Bridges would be outraged knowing he didn’t follow orders, but that didn’t matter. 

Nothing mattered to him...except you. He couldn’t go another fucking day without you. He needed you by his side. He was getting anxious just sitting here, knowing today could be the day he brings you home. Not only to him but to Jen and your family. They were having just as a hard time as he was. 

Fifi’s voice was filled with stress and worry when Flip called her back, updating her on how the interview went with Alexander. He could hear her whisper as she repeated what he said. 

“ _ She’s still alive? _ ” 

Flip could hear Mark’s distant voice through the phone. Even your brother knew about Flip’s failures of trying to keep you safe. 

“ _ That’s what he was told in the interview,”  _ Fifi answered his question as she sniffled. 

“ _ I’ll call you back when we know more _ .” Flip assured her.

Flip anticipated that you would be the one to call them next, saying that you were safe. That you were going to be okay… 

“You ready?” Ron whispered, interrupting his thoughts. 

Flip swallowed the lump in his throat as he looked over to Alexander. He was quick to follow Ron, desperate to keep him by his side. 

“You already know my answer.” Flip hissed through his teeth. 

He didn’t mean to take his frustrations out on Ron, knowing he was the only one who helped him during his lowest point. He couldn’t help that his blood was starting to boil as he watched Alexander, constantly checking behind his shoulder. 

“He’s just scared,” Ron shook his head. “Let’s go.” 

Static screeched into Flip and Ron’s earpiece, making both of them flinch at the same time. 

_ “We have 5 men in the front lobby. Over.” _ was spoken into their ear. 

“Are they armed? Over.” Ron pressed down on the button in his front collar, radioing back. 

_ “I have a visual of each man with a pistol. One of them has a shotgun. Over.”  _

“Okay, we’re heading in. Over and out.” Ron let go of the button as he looked over to Alexander. 

“Are you sure you’re ready?” Ron questioned. 

“Y-Yeah,” Alexander nodded his head. 

Flip rolled his eyes as he turned over towards the building. One foot in front of the other. One step closer to you. He could hear the sloshing sound of the mud underneath his boot, forming footprints in the ground as he led the path towards you. 

He couldn’t wait anymore. Ron and Alexander were taking baby steps while Flip was ready to run. He felt the bile bubbling in his stomach as he ducked in and out between the different train cars, getting closer and closer to the door. 

Flip clenched his jaw as he approached the front door, seeing some of their team on either side. They were dressed in tactical gear, ready to storm in. 

_ “Flip, slow down!” _ Ron radioed into the earpiece. 

“Let’s go.” Flip ignored the voice echoing against his skull. He nodded his head towards the officers staring up at him. 

“Sir?” A woman crouching down holding a shotgun tilted her head at Flip. 

“Start the raid…we can’t wait any longer.” Flip hissed as he raised his gun, getting in position.

He didn’t know if the men on the other side of the door knew they were there. Would they catch them by surprise or was this entire thing a trap? 

“Disarm and cuff them.” Ron’s voice was clear to everyone as he and Alexander approached. 

“We’re going to let these assholes rot in prison for the rest of their lives.” Ron held up his gun as he stood next to Flip, once again nodding his head in reassurance. 

Flip bit down on his lower lip as he nodded his head back at Ron. He was quick to turn his head back towards the door, nodding at the officer. 

Flip clenched his jaw as he watched the following events go down. 

Two officers on their team whipped open the doors, throwing a stun grenade into the lobby of the train station. 

Flip watched as the men spread around the lobby were confused as to what was thrown into the room. That’s when the grenade went off, sending a deafening sound along with a bright flash. 

He saw it all in slow motion as he ran past the doors, sliding his gun back into his holster under his arm. He was quick to run up to one of the men closest to him who held his hands over his ears. He held a pistol against his head as he tried to reorient himself, trying to rub the intense noise out of his ears. He was wobbly and unsteady on his feet due to the sudden shock to his equilibrium. He was too busy to notice Flip as he ran up, swiping his legs out with his foot. 

He heard the man groan as his back hit against the solid floor. Flip drowned out all the shouting around him as he heard the man’s gun sliding against the ground. Flip kicked him over, pushing him face down with his foot. 

“Protect Petroff!” The man under Flip’s cowboy boot shouted. 

Flip grit his teeth, kneeling as he reached for one of the many zip tie restraints in his pocket. He was quick to tighten it around the man’s wrists before standing up, reaching for the gun under his arm again. 

Flip looked around, seeking out his next target. Alexander stood behind Ron, waiting for more of Abigor’s men to be detained. You could see him shaking where he stood, looking like a little kid during a thunderstorm. 

Flip was being fueled by rage as he saw a man running up to him on the corner of his eye. One of Abigor’s men were pointing his gun towards Flip, sliding the gun as a bullet slid into the chamber. Flip was quick to duck behind one of the pillars standing in the lobby before he started taking shots.

He stood there, waiting until they had to reload. He counted the shots hitting against the column, keeping his mind busy until he made his move. Flip heard a click coming from behind him, telling him that the man was distracted and out of bullets. 

Flip crouched down, peeking behind the column to make sure his assumptions were right. He ran around the stone pillar when the man was looking down at his hands, fidgeting to slide a new clip-in. 

Flip tossed his gun into his left hand as he rushed from behind the pillar, forming a fist with his right. He felt something crack under his hand as it pummeled over the man’s face. He was able to knock him down to the ground, kicking him onto his stomach. 

“Where is she?!” Flip shouted, wrapping the restraints over his wrists. 

“Fuck you!” The man on the ground shouted in a thick Russian accent. 

“Where the fuck is she?!” Flip shouted, tightening the restraints, causing the man to suck a breath in through his nose. 

The man laughed from under him, spitting near Flip’s boots. 

Flip shook his head before looking around again, seeing that most of the men were detained, already in handcuffs. Ron was trying his hardest to fight one of the men off who was trying to reach around him. Alexander was curling into a little ball as he folded himself over, trying to get out of arm’s reach. 

Flip clenched his jaw as he snatched Alexander’s vest, bringing him to his feet. 

“Take me to her.” Flip hissed, yanking him closer to him. “Now!”

Alexander nodded his head, pointing towards the huge staircase off to the side of the lobby. Flip swallowed the lump in his throat as he adjusted his grip on his gun. 

“I don’t think so.”

Flip stopped in his tracks hearing that familiar noise of the safety clicking off of a gun. Flip squeezed his eyes shut as he felt the cool metal now pressing against his scalp. 

“Turn around, Zimmerman.” Flip bit down on his tongue. He was so close to getting you back, but he failed you, yet again.

“Ah. Welcome back, Alexander.” Abigor smirked over, now pointing the gun in Flip’s face. 

“I am very disappointed in you.” Abigor tsk-ed over to him. 

“Leading the fuckin’ law right to my door?” Abigor shook his head. “You know better than to do that.” Abigor swiped his arm over, now pointing the gun toward Alexander. 

“No!” Flip shouted, yanking Alexander back. Flip leaned over, now standing in front of Alexander. He was hoping he could distract Abigor, not knowing if he could talk his way out of this. 

Flip’s eyes glanced around the room fairly quickly. Everyone in the lobby was now detained except Abigor and his bodyguard standing directly behind him. Ron and the rest of the team had their guns pointed at Abigor, sweat dripping off of their foreheads as they hoped and prayed Abigor wouldn’t pull the trigger. 

“You’ve done all of this because of me...” Flip tightened his grip around his gun, hearing the squealing metal under his hold. 

“You don’t want to waste what little time you have left on him.” Flip felt his heart pounding in his ears, slowly pushing Alexander to take a step back. 

“You’re so right,” Abigor smirked, tilting his head over to Alexander. “I’ll deal with you later, now go on…” Abigor trailed off as he clenched his jaw, looking at Flip again. 

“Put the gun on the ground.” The bodyguard behind Abigor hissed. 

“Him first.” Flip huffed as he looked over to the gun pointing in his face again. 

“We both know I’m not going to do that.” Abigor chuckled to himself. 

“It’s amazing how stubborn you are...” Flip bent over, carefully placing his gun down onto the ground. 

“Even with four other guns on you.” Flip stood up, kicking the gun to slide across the tile. 

“They’re not going to shoot me.” The laugh coming from Abigor’s mouth caused Flip’s skin to crawl, hearing the darkness behind it. 

“And why is that?” Ron shouted from across the room. His gun was pointed at Abigor, threatening him to have a good enough answer. 

“I would tell them to put their guns down too.” Abigor leaned in, whispering only to Flip. 

“Why the fuck would I do that?” Flip twisted his face with confusion. 

Abigor was outnumbered and he knew it. He needed to buy time until he thought of an idea to get out of here. Flip could feel his blood starting to boil as the corners of Abigor’s mouth turned into a smile. 

“If they shoot me, she dies…” Abigor chuckled as he nodded his head towards the bodyguard standing behind him. 

Flip felt everything around him stop as he watched the bodyguard walking towards the staircase. 

“W-What?” Flip stuttered, not knowing if he heard him correctly. 

“Tell them to put their guns down.” Abigor hissed through his teeth. 

Flip widened his eyes as he turned his head, watching the guard walking up the stairs now. Flip shot his eyes over to Ron, with a sudden feeling of nausea overtaking him. 

“R-Ron!” Flip shouted. He couldn’t finish his thought, hearing a thump coming from the stairs. It was almost like something dropped.

“Get up!” Was shouted from the stairs.

“What is it?” Ron questioned. 

Flip couldn’t take his eyes off of the staircase, seeing that familiar mop of hair tumbling down the stairs. 

“Put the fucking guns down!” Flip shouted at the sight of you. 

Weeks of suffering, being completely heartbroken, and not knowing if you were alive ended at that moment.

The bodyguard pushed you forward, guiding you to the middle of the lobby. Flip couldn’t help but notice your unsteady gait, unable to walk in a straight line. 

“Ah...” Abigor smiled over to you. “...there she is.” 

The gun was still pointed at Flip while everyone in the room watched. You sucked in a breath as you were being shoved down, falling to your knees. Flip shook his head as he took a step forward, trying to grab onto you. 

“I didn’t tell you to fucking move.” Abigor shoved the gun towards Flip, reminding him that he had the higher ground in this situation. 

Flip took a deep breath in as he shifted where he stood. He couldn’t just stand there, watching as you were deteriorating in front of his eyes. You looked pale as you looked around at all the men, slowly putting their guns down. You looked frail like you would snap in half if someone grabbed you in the wrong way. Your eyelids were heavy, slowly blinking as your face wrenched in pain. His heart shattered as he watched you lean forward, trying to curl into a ball. 

“Wake up, sweetheart.” Abigor kicked you.

This caused Flip to clench his fists, feeling his nails digging into the palm of his hands. His teeth ground together, knowing he couldn’t hold you as you groaned in pain. 

“You have someone that wants to say goodbye.” Abigor kicked you again, finally getting you to lift your head. 

“Good...bye?” Your voice was shaky as your eyes fluttered, meeting Flip’s gaze. 

“You need to say goodbye,” Abigor smirked over to Flip. “He’s not going to be coming back.” 

“Flip…?” your sickly voice trailed off before you shook your head. “No…he’s not real.” You ducked your head down again. 

Flip felt his entire world crumbling down. You were obviously confused, not knowing he was real. So, was it like this the entire time? You hallucinating him and realizing he wasn’t real? 

“He’s not here…” Your voice was trailing off, almost like you were having a hard time staying awake. 

“He’s not here.” You shook your head, face twisting like you were in some sort of pain. 

“Please…” Flip bit down on his bottom lip, trying his best to keep it from trembling. 

“Don’t say I didn’t try to be nice!” Abigor smirked over to Flip again. “I tried to give you closure before I killed you both.” Flip watched you flinch as Abigor’s chuckle filled the empty room. 

“You can’t say that I didn’t try…” Abigor shrugged his shoulders.

Flip tried to ignore everything else around him. He just focused on you. If he died, at least he knew he would die next to you. He found you and you were by his side. The things he’s been wanting for the longest time. 

He felt his entire body tense up as you lifted your head once again, eyebrows furrowed as you looked up at him. He felt his heart skip a beat as you blinked up at him. 

“Flip?” you whispered, looking over. 

He could tell you were trying to look over to Abigor, seeking his guidance. The gun he was holding seemed to steal your attention, widening your eyes as you came to a realization. 

“He’s real?” You shook your head, sucking in a breath as you tried to stay quiet. 

“Shut up!” Abigor shouted down at you. He kept his eyes on Flip as he cocked the gun back, loading a bullet into the chamber. 

Your bottom lip started to tremble as your eyes were still fixated on the gun pointed at him. 

Flip swallowed the lump in his throat, noticing your eyes were filling with tears. A wrinkle formed in between his eyebrows as he stole a glance over to Ron. 

Ron had his hand over his mouth, eyes switching back and forth between you and the gun pointed at Flip. 

Flip turned his head over to you, seeing that you were now looking up at him with teary eyes. 

“I love you.” Flip nodded his head down at you before he squeezed his eyes shut. 

He imagined being shot wouldn’t hurt, not if it was execution-style. It would be quick and easy. He did hate that it was in front of you, even if you were a little confused. You got to see him one last time, hoping that it was something that you wanted.

That’s when Flip heard a gunshot, almost jumping out of his boots. He heard something drop to the ground before he heard a man shouting in agonizing pain.

Flip fluttered his eyes open, immediately noticing blood pouring out of Abigor’s stomach. His eyes shot over to you. Your fingers were wrapped loosely around a gun as your hand quivered. 

Abigor was shouting in pain as his bodyguard was looking around, trying to figure out what was going on. He patted his belt, almost like he was missing something. When the bodyguard turned his head down at you, he slapped the gun out of your hand. 

“How did you get that?” The man shouted before slamming his fist against your head. Flip watched as your body went limp, hitting the ground as you were knocked unconscious. 

That’s when everything turned red for Flip. 

He couldn’t remember knocking the bodyguard off of his feet, shoving his face down into Abigor’s pool of blood. Flip wasn’t even trying to restrain him, he just wanted to get him away from you. 

That’s when Ron ran up, tying the man’s wrists together. Flip didn’t even hesitate before crawling over to you, wrapping his arms around you. He grunted as he pulled you into his lap, shaking you lightly. He kept whispering your name over and over as he brushed your hair out of your face. 

You were so pale…his mind was racing as he tried to remember if you were this pale before. Flip felt his bottom lip quivering as he whispered your name again. 

“Please, wake up baby.” He looked around, watching as Ron was now restraining Abigor. 

What would you do in this situation? What if the roles were reversed and it was you trying to wake him up? 

Assess the situation. 

“Baby, please…” Flip was coming apart, trying to lightly press his fingers just below your palm and at your wrist. 

“F-Fuck.” Flip muttered to himself. 

He lifted his fingers to your neck, once again pressing his fingers. 

Flip closed his eyes and held his breath. He tried to tune everyone out as he tried to focus. He was praying to whatever higher power was listening, hoping to feel any sort of a rhythmic tick against his fingertips. 

_ Thump…Thump…Thump… _

There it was. It was slow and thready, but it was there. 

“Is she….?” Ron couldn’t finish his question as he crouched down, eyes glued on you. 

“I have a pulse.” Flip licked his lips, tilting to you one side as he reached for his back pocket. 

He shouted profanities and he battled to get his walkie-talkie out. When he finally got it out, his hand trembled, unable to keep steady. He took a shaky breath in as he shoved the walkie-talkie over to Ron.

“Call a medic.” 

Ron was quick to grab the walkie-talkie, instructing them that they needed medical attention for two people. Flip should have been mad, knowing Abigor wasn’t worth saving. That he should have just bled out and died in front of everyone. No one would have missed him. No one would even care. The sun would shine a little brighter, knowing there was one less piece of shit walking the earth. 

But he couldn’t have that mindset. It wasn’t up to him to decide Abigor’s fate. To be fair, he honestly didn’t care about him at this point. All that mattered in the world was that you were in his arms and you were alive. 

“Just a little longer, baby.” He whispered down at you as he caressed your cheek. 

Flip’s mind flashed over all the weeks you were gone. How miserable he was without you. How he thought it was the end of the world and how he didn’t know how he would live without you. He was sitting there, dwelling on the torture you were enduring. How miserable you were, probably trying to figure out why you were here. 

“Move aside!” Four paramedics came running in, pushing a stretcher with each pair. 

Two women crouched down on either side of you, looking over to Flip. 

“Can you lay her down gently?” One of the paramedics asked Flip as the other one started unzipping a bag. 

Flip nodded his head frantically as he followed their directions. He chewed on the inside of his lip as he looked over to their name badges. Beth was pressing her stethoscope to various parts of your chest as Abigail started attaching stickers.

Flip could feel the anxiety boiling in his blood as Abigail started connecting wires to the stickers. 

“What’s happening?” Flip stuttered, taking a step back so he wouldn’t get in their way. 

He was trying to focus on you as the other pair of paramedics rolled Abigor out on the stretcher. It wasn’t long until he heard the sirens growing farther and farther away as he was escorted to the hospital. 

“We’re doing an EKG. Just taking a picture of her heart.” Abigail pointed at the bag that had a little screen. The little green line bounced showing your heartbeat. Flip felt a little bit of relief as he looked over to you. 

“Did she fall or anything?” Beth looked over to Flip as he grabbed a neck brace from the bag. 

“I…don’t know.” Flip flinched, the images of your car on the side of the road flashed through his mind. 

“We’re just going to keep her neck stabilized until we know her neck is okay.” Beth and Abigail moved as one, lifting your head and wrapping the brace around your neck. 

“We’re going to take her to John’s Memorial.” Beth directed this to the entire room as she worked with Abigail, carefully laying you down on the stretcher. 

“I’m going with her.” Flip stood on his feet, stepping closer towards you. There was no way in hell he was leaving you on your own, even in the hands of people who could easily take care of you. 

Flip clenched his jaw as he looked between the two paramedics, waiting to get confirmation. 

“Let’s go,” Abigail nodded her head towards Flip before pushing the stretcher. 

Flip made sure to run behind them, careful not to get in their way. He was the last to climb in the back of the ambulance, sitting next to you as they stuck something into your nose. Flip shifted in his seat as he looked around, trying to figure out what was going on. 

“We’re just giving her oxygen,” Beth whispered over to him. 

Flip slid his tongue over his lips, trying to take a calming breath through his nose. He leaned over to you when he saw your eyebrows furrow. He whispered your name, hoping you would know he was real. That he was there for you and he wasn’t going to leave. 

“Flip…?” You barely opened your eyes as your sickly voice was directed to him. 

“It’s me.” Flip leaned a little closer, watching as your hand lifted from your side. Your hand shook as you tried to reach up for him, wanting to make sure he was really there with you. 

“I’m here.” Flip reached for your hand, intertwining his fingers with yours as he brought it back to your side. You needed to save as much energy as you could. He could feel you squeezing his hand, almost like you didn’t want to let go of him. 

That’s when your eyes fluttered shut again. Your hand relaxed, telling him that you lost consciousness again. 

Beth intervened, wrapping a blood pressure cuff around your arm. She turned her head as she hooked it up to her machine, pressing a button to start inflating. 

“Is she going to be okay?” Flip’s bottom lip started to tremble as he looked up towards the paramedics. 

“She’s going to be fine.” Abigail was hoping to steal his attention. Flip could tell she was trying to keep him calm by the tone in her voice. 

“John’s Memorial is a great hospital. They will take good care of her.” Beth lifted a clipboard while writing down your blood pressure.

“Yeah...” Flip nodded his head, stroking his thumb over your hand. “She’s a nurse there.” 

Flip could feel the sudden shift in the air as Beth and Abigail turned their head to him. 

“Is she-” Abigail looked at him for a moment. “Is she the nurse everyone was talking about?” Abigail lowered her head, trying to get a better look at you. 

“What do you mean?” Flip looked up at her, still stroking his thumb. He was trying to stay calm, scared that you would sense any anxiety he would feel. He could hear Beth sigh as she set her clipboard down. 

“You know how the hospital likes to gossip.” Beth shrugged her shoulders. 

“They thought she walked out or something. Never came back to work.” Beth looked down at you for a moment. 

“There was a rumor she disappeared or something when they found her car on the side of the road.” Her eyes met Flip’s as he bit down on his lip. 

Flip was so focused on the fact that you were gone and how it affected him, he even didn’t think twice about how Jen was doing or even your Mom. For fucks sake, he didn’t let Fifi know until earlier today. He didn’t even think about telling your job that you went missing. He couldn’t believe how self-centered he was, thinking that he was the only one that missed you. 

“She works in the ER, right?” Abigail lifted her eyebrows. 

“Yeah.” Flip leaned his head again, only focusing on you. 

“Then they’ll do everything in their power to help her.” Abigail gave Flip a reassuring pat on his shoulder before the ambulance came to a stop. 

“She’s one of their own.” 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

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> 
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	33. Don't leave me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey you guys!! I just wanted to say a few things before we get started. 
> 
> The love I've been getting on my redbubble shop is amazing and I cannot thank you guys enough for supporting me and BTC. This story means so much to me and I'm glad you guys love it just as much as I do. 
> 
> Another thing I wanted to bring up was the character in this chapter named Elio. He is based on a real person that I worked with who recently passed away due to covid. He knew about my writing (he thought I was taking a creative writing class but still), he was super excited about it. He would always tell me that I would go somewhere with my writing and was confident in my abilities. He was funny and down to earth and we would always talk about Star Wars and The Mandalorian with me. He was one of the few people who didn't make me feel like shit for having a Kylo work bag and lunch box... You will be missed and I hope I make you proud, Elio.
> 
> -Dal.

Flip felt helpless. Anxiety washing over him as he stood out in the hall, watching you from a distance. He couldn’t have been more than 20 feet away from you, farther than he liked. Flip watched as you were being poked and prodded in one of the trauma rooms in the emergency department. When they brought you to your hospital, Flip felt dizzy, trying to keep up with all the doctors and nurses running around your room. Flip could feel the bile gurgling in his stomach, unease taking over him. He felt bad just standing there as he watched a swarm of people trying to help you.

“I need stat labs, now.” A man in a white lab coat shouted to anyone listening as he lifted your eyelids, shining a light into them. 

Flip’s brain was working overtime, trying to understand what was being exchanged in the room. He managed only to get bits and pieces as he chewed on the inside of his cheek. He watched your heart wave on a big screen hanging against the wall, mentally thanking them for the reminder that you were still with him. 

“Someone get a line on her.” 

Flip ran his hand through his hair as he watched someone in scrubs crouching over your arm, starting an IV. 

You were still unconscious as they continued to work on you. Flip could feel his feet starting to ache from standing there for what felt like hours. He never left your side, even when they sent you for x-rays and CT scans. He stayed as close to you as they allowed, hoping you would want him near when you eventually woke up. 

It wasn’t long until Flip started to hear the whispers around the hallways. 

_ “Is that really her?” _

_ “Apparently she was kidnapped…”  _

_ “Do you think she’ll make it?”  _

Flip tried his hardest to ignore it, knowing he would drive himself insane if he dwelled on it. He tried to ignore the stares he felt on the back of his head and the people turning their necks to get a glance at you being patched up. 

Flip had to stand there for hours, drowning in his guilt as he watched you. You were lying so still in your bed, he had to reassure himself by watching your chest rise and fall with your slow breaths. 

It wasn’t until a few hours later that you were transferred out of the ER and into an actual hospital room. 

Your nurse, Elio, made sure you two were settled in and comfortable. Flip quickly found out the impact you had on the hospital, working with Elio before. He let Flip know that you were an amazing nurse and an even better friend. 

“We used to work together before she moved down to the ER.” Elio smiled down at you. 

“Really?” Flip could see that Elio was hurting as much as Flip, seeing you in this condition. 

“Yeah. We used to recommend movies to each other and talk about our favorite shows.” Elio nodded his head, looking over to Flip. 

Elio took a deep breath before he fluffed your pillows and tucked you in. He hung some sort of fluids on your IV pump before he turned over to Flip again. Elio instructed him to get comfortable until a doctor came in to update him. 

Flip nodded his head quietly as Elio walked out. Flip carefully rolled a chair next to your bed, sitting down for the first time in hours. Flip found himself on the verge of tears, seeing that you were wasting away in front of him. You were still so pale and looked so… sickly. It reminded him of Daniel Mitchell’s daughter. 

It broke his heart. Kronos had these two innocent lives in his hands, playing with them like a game of poker. The messed up thing was, he was dealing the cards and he knew the hand every time. He knew what he was doing, killing Mitchell and leaving his family with little to nothing. Stealing you away from your friends and family and slowly depriving you of life… 

“Flip?” 

An unfamiliar voice broke Flip out of his thoughts. He turned his head towards the door, seeing the same man in the lab coat that worked on you in the ER. He figured the white lab coat made him a doctor. 

“Yes, sir.” Flip stood from his chair and held his hand out. 

The man walked over with a comforting smile, shaking Flip’s hand.

“I’m Dr. Brewer,” he smiled again. “But you can call me Joe.” 

“Nice to meet you,” Flip nodded his head. 

“You must be tired.” Joe gestured his hand towards the chair, telling Flip to sit back down. 

Flip chewed on the inside of his cheek as he watched Joe wheel a chair next to his. Flip glanced over to you before taking his seat. 

“How is she?” Flip blurted. He didn’t feel like beating around the bush. 

“Well,” Joe took a deep breath. “She’s pretty banged up.” Joe looked over to you. 

“The CT scans showed that she sustained multiple concussions.” Joe turned his head to look over at Flip again. 

“Now I understand she was in an accident?” Joe questioned. 

“Yes,” Flip nodded his head. 

“She most likely got one then,” Joe blinked over to Flip. 

“Can they cause her to be confused?” Flip furrowed his eyebrows, trying not to flinch as he thought back to the train station. You didn’t believe he was standing in front of you or that he was real. 

“Definitely,” Joe nodded his head. “The confusion will go away but she will experience other symptoms as she heals.” Joe paused, making sure Flip was gathering all the information. He proceeded when Flip nodded his head. 

“Her headaches will be painful,” Joe reached into his pocket, grabbing a pamphlet and handing it over to Flip. “She will have episodes of nausea also.” Joe watched as Flip scanned over the printed words.“

“She’s going to experience light sensitivity and will have some trouble focusing.” Joe paused again. 

“Okay…” Flip trailed off before scanning over the piece of paper again. 

“Sleep symptoms?” Flip read off of the pamphlet. 

“That could go either way. She could sleep excessively or have insomnia, it just depends on the patient.” Joe nodded his head again. 

“How long will she be like that?” Flip glanced over to you, still seeing the slow rise and fall of your chest. 

“Normally it takes about a week to heal from a concussion.” Joe shifted in his seat. “But given her situation, I would say 2-3 weeks.” Joe followed Flip’s gaze.

“She needs lots of rest.” Joe turned his head over to Flip again. “Mental rest too. Nothing too stressful that will put her brain into overtime.” Joe crossed his arms over his chest. 

“We also found that she has a couple of bruised ribs.” 

A wrinkle formed in between Flip’s eyebrows as he looked up at the man sitting across from him. 

“It sounds scarier than it is. She will be in pain when she takes a deep breath or coughs but pain medication and rest should heal it on its own.” Joe nodded his head towards Flip. 

“She is also severely malnourished and dehydrated.” Joe pointed at the IV pump next to you, slowly dripping fluids into you. 

“We’re going to give her some fluids and nutrients through her IV for a couple of days.” Joe nodded over to Flip. “We will monitor her labs and make sure she is stable before we send her home.” 

“I’m also going to be consulting a psychiatrist for her to see.” Joe shined a soft smile over to Flip. 

“A psychiatrist?” Flip’s face twisted with confusion. 

“Given her situation… It’s not going to be easy on her.” Joe glanced over at you for a moment before looking back at Flip. 

“I want to know their standpoint before we send her home also…” 

“My team and I will follow up with her every morning and see how she’s doing. I’ll be communicating with her team and we will adapt her plan of care.” Joe stood from his chair. 

“Do you have any questions for me?” Joe questioned as Flip mirrored his actions. 

“Not right now, I don’t think.” Flip held his hand out. “Thank you.” Flip bit down on his lower lip. 

“Not a problem.” Joe nodded his head, shaking Flip’s hand before he walked out. 

Flip went back into his seat, sitting as close to you as he could. The guilt washed over him as he studied you. Something broke in him, seeing that you were almost unrecognizable. 

Your hair was matted and tangled, desperately needing a comb through. The dark circles under your eyes looked like they’ve been there for a while. Flip hoped the IV fluids would bring the color back into your skin, making you look like yourself again. Flip could feel his bottom lip trembling when he noticed various bruises over your arms. 

That’s when panic overtook him. How would you be when you woke up? Would you still think he wasn’t real and just a figment of your imagination? Would you remember him? Would you even want him here with you? He couldn’t ignore the exchange you two had the last time you saw him. 

_ “I hate you.”  _

Did you still hate him? 

Hours went by while you lied perfectly still in your bed. Elio would come in every so often, checking your vitals and making sure you two were still comfortable. 

“I can call you when she wakes up.” Elio flashed Flip a soft smile. 

“No-” Flip shook his head, cutting him off. “I’m not leaving her alone.” Flip looked up at Elio, hoping he would forgive him for being short. 

“That’s understandable…” Elio nodded his head. “I’ll be back in a little.” 

Nothing seemed to happen. Flip would adjust in his seat every so often, trying to get comfortable. He would wake himself after dozing off for a few seconds, scared he would miss you waking up. Nothing was happening... until Flip started pacing back and forth in your room. He felt unease as walked back and forth, forward and back.  _ Tick… Tock… Tick… Tock… _ The tapping of his footsteps perfectly in sync with the ticking on the wall. He was stuck in this cycle until a new sound filled his ears. 

“Flip?” 

He stopped dead in his tracks when he heard your soft voice calling up to him. He whipped his head over towards you, making sure he wasn’t imagining it. 

You were blinking over to him, telling him that he wasn’t losing his mind just yet. 

“Baby,” Flip rushed over to you, sitting back in his chair. His hand stuttered as he reached for yours, unsure if you wanted him. 

Right on cue, Elio softly knocked on the door, letting himself in. 

“She’s awake.” Elio walked over, grabbing your blood pressure cuff. 

“Elio?” You looked over to Flip as you squeezed his hand, almost like you were making sure they were both really in front of you. 

“In the flesh,” Elio chuckled, wrapping the cuff around your arm. “How are you feeling, love?” Elio pressed a button on his vitals machine.

“Any pain?” He whispered down at you. 

That’s when your hand moved away from Flip’s, looking up at Elio again. Flip held his breath, trying not to be heartbroken just yet…

Flip and Elio carefully watched you as you slowly nodded your head, chewing on your bottom lip. 

“Y-Yeah,” you stuttered, almost like you were almost afraid to say.

“Okay,” Elio nodded his head. “I brought some pain medication with me.” Elio hit save on his machine, looking back over to you. 

“You know the drill. Let me get these in and I’ll take care of it.” Elio nodded his head again, walking over to the computer in the room.

Flip felt his leg bouncing up and down as he watched you. You kept your eyes on Elio as he administered your pain medication through your IV. Elio pressed a few buttons and then nodded his head down towards you, making sure you were okay.

“I’ll let you two catch up.” Elio looked over to Flip. “Let me know if you guys need anything.” Elio flashed a smile towards you before shutting the door behind him.

That’s when complete silence washed over the entire room. Flip chewed on the inside of his cheek as he felt the tension building in the air. 

Flip felt stiff in his chair as he blinked over to you. You slowly turned your head, looking up at the various fluids you were being infused with. Flip just wanted to climb in that bed with you when he saw your bottom lip quivering. You must have gotten a sense of the condition you were in. It took everything out of him to stay in his seat and not comfort you. 

Flip felt his heart skip a beat when you finally turned your head towards him. He watched as you opened and shut your mouth, unsure of what to say to him. You fiddled with the blanket wrapped around your body before you finally opened your mouth again. 

“Hi.” You could barely look at him, feeling just as awkward as he did.

“Hey, baby…” Flip trailed off in a whisper. 

He watched your hands squeeze the material bundled in your hand as your body tensed up to that name. Flip was already kicking himself, regretting not calling you by your name. 

“I… I don’t understand what happened…” A wrinkle formed in between your eyebrows as you stared down at your hands. 

“How did you find me?” You blinked over towards Flip as you shook your head. 

He took a deep breath before he adjusted in his seat, leaning a little closer to you. He couldn’t bear not holding you…

“It would have been sooner…” Flip looked down at his fidgeting hands. There was a string hanging off of his jeans, twirling it in his fingers. “But I found a loose end… decided to follow up on it.” He shrugged his shoulders. 

“Loose end?” Your face twisted with confusion. 

“Daniel Mitchell.” Flip watched as your eyebrows furrowed, thinking back to where you heard that name before. 

“The cop that killed himself?” You tilted your head over to him. 

“Turns out he didn’t… He was killed…” Flip swallowed the lump in his throat. 

“I interviewed his wife…” Flip felt the loose string break off of his jeans. 

“Found out a lot from her…” Flip trailed off as he thought of Daisy again… how similar you looked like her. So pale… like you two were clinging onto life.

“It led us to Alexander.” Flip snapped out of it, watching as your face winced at the mention of him. 

“What?” Your eyes widened. “Alexander?” You blinked over to him. 

Flip nodded his head, letting the string fall onto the ground.

“That doesn’t make any sense.” You shook your head with disbelief. “You’re telling me he helped you?” 

“Yeah,” Flip nodded his head. 

“Helped you find me and Abigor?” Flip could hear the gears working in your head, trying to comprehend what he was telling you. 

“He led us to you.” Flip nodded his head again.

“But-” You shook your head again. “He told me you weren’t coming…” You took a shaky breath in. “He told me no one was coming.” You wiped a tear from your eye before it could fall down your cheek. 

“And you believed him?” Flip placed his hand next to yours, testing the waters as he wanted to hold it again. 

Flip noticed you looked down at it, not moving an inch. 

“I just figured…” You shook your head again at him. 

“Figured what?” Flip moved his hand an inch closer towards yours, hoping to warm you up to the idea. 

“After our fight…” You looked down at his hand again, contemplating. 

“I know, but-” 

“Flip.” You interrupted him. 

Flip bit down on his lower lip as he looked over to you. He could hear the gears in your head working again.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” You whispered over to him. Your eyebrows were low, scared to hear the answer.

“What?” Flip furrowed his eyebrows. 

“They told me… That you knew.” You cleared your throat.

“Knew what?” Flip froze as he waited for your answer. 

“About Abigor… That they were…” You trailed off as you looked away from him. 

“They were following me.” Your voice cracked, as you turned to look at him again. “That they were following me for a while…” 

“They saw me that day at the station…” Your eyes fluttered, trying to fan out the tears forming in your eyes.

“When we were supposed to go to the movies…” Your bottom lip trembled. “He saw me with you…” You took a deep breath. 

Flip clenched his jaw as his mind flashed back. He practically handed you over to Abigor on a silver platter that day. He regretted that moment, especially now. Things could have worked out differently… But Flip wasn’t going to go over ‘what if’s’ again… He wasn’t lying on the ground drunk and miserable as he wondered where you were. You were in front of him and back home… 

“You had every chance to tell me, Flip….” You shook your head. 

“All this time… You didn’t tell me.” You stared over at him, eyes turning red from the tears.

Flip took a shaky breath in, running his hand through his hair. He didn’t know how to tell you his selfish reasons for not telling you. You would be freaked out, yelling at him for putting you in that position. Your life was at risk and he didn’t tell you because he  _ needed _ you. How he was scared you would break up with him and the only good thing he had in his life would just walk out the door. You would leave and never have thought of him again. He would be left alone, miserable without you. You would’ve found someone else that made you happy… Someone that didn’t put you through hell…

Goddammit… He couldn’t do any more ‘what if’s’!

“It wasn’t that easy…” Flip was quiet as he leaned in a little closer to you, finally grabbing your hand. “I couldn’t just-” 

“Couldn’t what?” You whispered, waiting for his answer. 

Flip lowered his head, stroking his thumb back and forth over your hand. 

All this time he was lying to you, knowing he should have done the right thing… So why was it so hard for him to tell you now? 

“You couldn’t what?” You inhaled sharply, bringing your other hand up to your head. Flip lifted his head and watched you wince in pain before you closed your eyes. 

“Tell me that I was targeted and being hunted by some crazed criminal?” Your voice was low, trying your best not to rattle your head anymore. 

“I was scared, okay?” Flip squeezed your hand as he raised his voice. 

He was quiet as he shook his head, knowing this stress wasn’t good for you. 

“I’m sorry,” He whispered, lowering himself onto his knees. The hard tile sent pain through his legs as he scooted closer to you. 

“Scared?” You slowly opened your eyes to look at him. He could see your face twisting with confusion, trying your hardest to understand what he was talking about. 

“I was scared that you would have left.” Flip squeezed your hand a little tighter. “That you wouldn’t have stayed…” Flip shook his head, mumbles only coming out of his mouth. 

“You…” You paused, taking a sharp breath in. “Were scared I’d break up with you?” You furrowed your eyebrows. 

Flip was paralyzed with fear, waiting to hear what else you had to say. He felt like you fell out of love with him, hating him for what he did to you. All the suffering you went through after all those weeks… he didn’t blame you if you hated him. If you wanted nothing to do with him anymore, it was your decision and you had every right to. Not only did he say those horrible lies to his chief, but he also lied to you, almost costing you your life. 

He just knew that if you didn’t love him  _ now _ , you would never love him again… 

“That’s ridiculous, Flip.” You squeezed his hand, pulling on his arm until he stood up. 

He took a shaky breath in through his nose before he stood on his feet. You adjusted in your bed, inhaling sharply as you twisted your body towards him. 

“You should have given me the benefit of the doubt…” You blinked up at him. 

“I wasn’t going to run away if you told me the truth,” Your tongue slid across your lips as you looked up at him.

“I’m sorry,” Flip sat back in his chair, feeling his bottom lip trembling. “I’m sorry…” He repeated.

“I will never forgive myself for what I put you through…” He looked over to you with pleading eyes. 

“I’m sorry, baby…” He trailed off, lifting his other hand towards your face. He carefully placed his hand on your cheek, softly petting back and forth with his thumb. 

“You lied about  _ everything _ , Flip…” You took a shaky breath in as your eyes roamed over his face. 

Flip could feel the world crumbling around him. You reassured him that you wouldn’t break up if he told you the truth… but he felt like it was a different story now… You were mentally and physically hurt in so many ways and it was all thanks to him. It was his fault that you were lying in this hospital bed. Your long list of injuries haunting him.

“Flip, I-” 

You were interrupted by a knock on your door. Flip clenched his jaw as he leaned back in his chair, letting go of you. 

When the door opened, you looked over to the two men walking in with a wrinkle in between your eyebrows. 

“Hello?” You questioned, watching as the two men approached the foot of your bed. 

“Chief Bridges and Sergeant Trapp. We’re from the police station” Bridges cleared his throat, almost feeling awkward as he introduced himself to you. “We were wondering if we could ask you a couple of questions…” 

“Uh… Sure,” You nodded your head softly. 

“Right now?” Flip intervened. 

“Yes, right now.” Trapp nodded his head. 

“She just woke up,” Flip stood from his chair. “She needs to rest.” 

“Zimmerman… We have to interview the victim when they first wake up.” Bridges kept his voice low as he turned his head towards Flip.

“You know that’s the job.” Chief bridges took a deep breath before whispering “I’m sorry but we can’t make any exceptions.”

“Fine.” Flip threw his hands up, surrendering as he sat back in his seat. 

“Please,” Trapp whispered your name, gesturing towards your bed. “Get comfortable… You’ve been through a lot.” 

You inhaled through your nose, nodding your head as you laid back down in bed. Flip could see you clenching your jaw, trying not to show the pain that you were in. This made him sigh as his eyes shot over to Bridges, wishing he would have some sort of compassion towards what you were going through. 

“We just want to get a clear story. Get to know your side of what happened.” Bridges crossed his arms over his chest. 

That’s when Elio walked in, two foldable chairs in either hand. 

“Ah.” Bridges walked over to him, grabbing one of the chairs. “Thank you, sir.” Bridges nodded over, unfolding one of the chairs. 

“Not a problem.” Elio nodded his head, unfolding the other chair for Trapp. 

Both of the men took their seats, sitting at the foot of the bed, making sure to face you. Flip watched as Elio nodded his head over to you, making sure you were okay before walking out and shutting the door behind him. 

“What do you wanna know?” Your voice was low as a wrinkle formed in between your eyebrows. 

“Start from the beginning,” Trapp held his hand out. “When they took you.” He set his hand back over his knee. 

“Uh-” You glanced over towards Flip. “I was…” You trailed off. 

Bridges adjusted in his seat as he followed your gaze. Trapp wasn’t far from turning his head, watching as Flip swallowed the lump in his throat. 

“I was at the station.” You cleared your throat, trying to get everyone’s attention off of Flip. 

“I understand you didn’t notice you were being followed?” Trapp pulled out a small notepad from his shirt pocket. 

“No… I didn’t. Not when I drove off.” You turned your head over to look at Trapp. 

“Any particular reason why you didn’t?” Trapp clicked his pen. 

“I-” Your eyes blinked over to Flip again as a wrinkle formed in between your eyebrows. 

“I don’t see how that matters.” You shook your head softly, meeting Trapp’s gaze again.

It was silent for a few moments, Bridges looking between you and Flip. 

“I think it would benefit us if we did this interview alone…” Bridges cleared his throat, turning his head to look over at Flip. 

“What?” Flip stood from his chair. “You want me to leave?” Flip’s face twisted with disgust.

“I’m not leaving her.” He shook his head. 

“Zimmerman,” Bridges stood from his chair, whispering over to him as he walked towards him. 

“She’s not going to be alone.” Bridges patted his shoulder, leading him towards the door.

“When the interview is done, I will stay with her until you come back.” Bridges turned his head to look up at him. 

“She doesn’t need any distractions.” Bridges clenched his jaw. 

Flip sighed as he turned his head towards the middle of the room. You were still lying in the hospital bed, staring back at him. You were fidgeting with your hands and you were trying to read the conversation between the two men. 

“Watch over her…  _ Please _ .” Flip pleaded. “If anything happens…” Flip clenched his jaw as he watched Bridges nod up at him. 

“I’ll take care of her… I promise.” Bridges patted Flip’s shoulder before he headed back towards his seat. 

Flip took one last look at you, seeing a look of concern plastered over your face. Your eyes followed him as he slowly turned to walk out the door and out of the room. He slowly shut the door until there was just a crack. There was no way in hell he would leave you on your own, even if Bridges and Trapp would keep you safe. Flip just couldn’t bring himself to leave you, not when he just got you back. 

So he decided to stay. He stood right outside the room, standing close to the crack he left, hearing Trapp’s distant voice again. 

“Okay…” Trapp cleared his throat. “Let’s start over.” 

“Fine.” Flip could hear the annoyance in your voice. 

“I wanted to visit Flip at the station,” You paused to take a sharp breath in. “We argued…” you trailed off for a few seconds. “Then I left.” 

“Security footage shows that you were followed when you came and left the station.” Bridges' voice was muffled as he rummaged through some papers. Flip figured he was showing you the stills from the video. 

“What happened next?” Bridges’ deep voice questioned you. 

“I was headed to Jen’s place.” Your voice cracked. “That’s when I noticed something was up.” 

“Like what?” Bridges questioned. 

“Before all of this, I noticed these black SUVs on my street… Just watching me…” You trailed off. 

“You didn’t bring this up to Flip?” Trapp intervened. “You’re dating a cop.”

Flip could feel the judgment from here.

“I figured it was a stalker or something… Some creep peeping through my windows or something.” You cleared your throat. 

“Thought they would stop on their own.” Your voice was shaky, causing Flip to squeeze his eyes shut. 

“Until they broke into my place.” 

Flip could tell you were feeling judged by the way you handled the situation. Flip shook his head to himself, knowing it wasn’t your fault. He just hoped someone would say that to you. You needed to know you did nothing wrong.

“Hey, it’s okay…” Bridges’ voice was low but it was just enough for Flip to hear. “You were scared.” 

“T-Thank you,” You stuttered. A few moments passed before you continued. 

“I don’t remember how but they ran me off the road.” 

Flip could hear you wincing in pain as you took a deep breath. 

“Are you alright?” Trapp asked as his chair screeched across the tile. 

Flip could tell Trapp stood from his chair, making sure you were okay. 

“Yeah, yeah.” You sucked in a breath. “I’m okay…” 

Flip could hear Trapp settling back in his chair as you continued.

“I hit my head in the crash… That’s when I saw Alexander for the first time.” 

“They broke my window and grabbed me.” Your voice was starting to get shaky.

“When they took you, did you see where they were taking you?” Bridges asked. 

“No.” You answered abruptly. 

“They put something over my head,” you took a quick breath. “Even if they didn’t, I wouldn’t have remembered.” 

“I still don’t know where they took me.” You scoffed to yourself.

“They took you to the abandoned train station in downtown…” Bridges' voice was soft, trying to lessen the blow.

“Oh-”

A few moments of silence passed, letting everything settle. Flip could hear soft sobs coming from you before you spoke again. 

“What else do you wanna know?” Your voice was quiet with your question, distracting yourself from crying. 

“The gun… How did you get the gun?” Bridges' voice sounded desperate. 

“W-What?” You questioned through your tears. A few moments passed before you spoke again. 

“Oh,” a few sniffles. “The gun I shot him with…” 

“Yeah,” Bridges whispered. 

This is when Flip took a step closer. He’s been wondering this, wondering how you managed to pull a gun out of thin air. 

“It’s still kind of fuzzy…” You trailed off, sniffling again. “They grabbed me from my room… They kept pushing me and telling me to go downstairs.” 

Flip bit down on his lip, hooked on your every word. 

“I couldn’t walk straight…” You trailed off for a moment, trying to remember what happened. 

“It was extremely lucky…” You huffed. “I bumped into the guy and somehow knocked his gun off of his belt?” you almost questioned it yourself. 

“I fell and hid it in my shirt before he could notice…” 

“That’s when he brought me downstairs… I didn’t know what was happening.” Your voice shook. “I thought the group of people there were more of Abigor’s men… wanting to kill me.” 

“When did you know it was us coming to help you?” Trapp’s voice was low, almost like he didn’t want to break your concentration. 

“Uh…” You took a moment to think to yourself. “I didn’t think Flip was real… until Abigor was pointing a gun at him.” 

Flip could tell that you were crying again as he pictured the moments you were describing. Your eyes were fixated on the gun shoved into his face. He was convinced that was the last moment he would have with you. 

Given the circumstances, he was glad the gun knocked some reality to you. If it meant you realizing that he was real and in front of you, then he wouldn’t have had it any other way… 

“Tell us about when you were there.” Trapp flipped the page in his notepad as he continued the questioning.

“You want me to rate my stay like it was a hotel or something?” 

“No, I-” 

“I wouldn’t recommend it if that’s what you’re wondering.” You scoffed again. 

Flip clenched his jaw as he crossed his arms over his chest. He knew you were upset with their dumb questions. He wanted to barge in that room and order the two men to leave, letting you catch up on the rest you needed. 

“They starved me. Beat me.” Your voice cracked, giving in to your tears again. Flip could hear the pain in your voice, shattering him once again.

“If my bruises weren’t from them beating me, it was from sleeping on a hardwood floor for weeks.” you sobbed. 

“They chained me down like I was some kind of animal…” You winced again as you took another deep breath. 

“I was a burden to them…” 

“ _ ‘You’re going to ruin the hardwood floor with all those tears.’ _ ' You deepened your voice, repeating the words of someone else. 

“I only saw the sun once…” Your voice was shaky from the tears. “And it hurt like hell but guess what? I sucked it up for as long as I could.” 

Flip squeezed his eyes shut, trying to stop his eyes from tearing up. He knew they weren’t treating you well while you were gone but he didn’t expect this. They had no compassion towards you. No food, water, or sunlight. How does a person live like that? 

Flip heard you clearly since your words were being shouted across the room. 

“They constantly reminded me that no one was looking for me. That no one cared.” You sniffled. 

“That my friends and family were better off without me.” Flip could imagine tears streaming down your face as you explained to them.

“They drilled in my head that Flip wasn’t coming… That he was never going to save me.” 

The two men stayed quiet as you sat in your bed crying, Flip’s heart crumbling as he listened to you.

“No one should ever have to wish they get a proper burial…” You let out a few sobs. 

Flip shook his head to himself, not knowing how much more he could listen to. You were putting your body under too much stress and Flip knew the questioning had to stop. 

“No one should have to count down the days until they die, knowing it was coming faster than you expected.” 

Flip could hear the men clearing their throats, not knowing what to say. 

“I thought I was going to die in that room… That I wasn’t going to see my mom one more time… That I wouldn’t see Flip or my best friend…” Flip could hear you take a shaky breath in. 

“That I would never see sunlight or experience Christmas again…” 

That was the last straw for Flip. His body moved faster than his brain as he shook his head and pushed through your door, barging into your room.

“That’s enough.” Flip shouted, immediately regretting it after as he watched you flinch in your bed. 

“She answered all your questions.” Flip lowered his voice as he looked over to you. 

Your eyes were bloodshot red as you wiped your cheeks with your hands. Your bottom lip and chin were quivering, wanting to cry more. You blinked over at him with grateful eyes, thanking him for making them stop. You looked so helpless in your bed as you started fidgeting with your fingers. 

Flip watched the two men stand from their chairs. Trapp was already walking towards the door. Bridges was frozen where he stood, staring over to you. 

“A lot of people are going to get a happy phone call today,” Bridges swallowed the lump in his throat. 

“W-What do you mean?” You stuttered. 

“Kronos left a lot of families broken and without closure…” Bridges cleared his throat. 

“Thanks to you, they finally have a light at the end of the tunnel…” 

Bridges stood there awkwardly for a few moments before opening his mouth again.

“And I… I’m sorry.” Bridges’ voice was low, embarrassment dripping off of him. “For-” 

“It’s okay,” You flashed Bridges a soft smile as you nodded your head. “It wasn’t your fault.” 

It was Flip’s fault though. 

Hearing everything that you went through just reminded Flip of how fucked up his decisions were with you. How his lies and deception brought you straight into the hands of Abigor and into the hospital. Leaving you to think about your death and how your family would handle it.

“I’ll keep you in my prayers…” Bridges nodded his head before he followed Trapp out, shutting the door behind him. 

Flip took a deep breath as he watched you. 

You were attempting to take deep breaths, trying to calm yourself down but the chest pain from your bruised ribs stopped you. Your face twisted with pain as Flip shook his head to himself. 

He wouldn’t be surprised if you still hated him. If you wanted to break up with him and have him leave your sight. You had every right to do those things… You probably needed time to yourself. To figure out how you felt… 

“I’ll just go…” Flip looked down at his feet as he turned around towards the door. 

“W-Where are you going?!” You practically jumped out of bed as you shouted this at him. 

A wrinkle formed in between his eyebrows as he turned his head towards you. He held his breath as he noticed a scared look on your face. You were sitting up in bed, gripping the blankets under your fists. 

Flip chewed on his bottom lip for a second, watching you fidget under the covers. 

“Please…” You looked down at your hands, releasing the covers from your hold. Your chin quivered as you lifted the covers up, scooting over to one side of the bed. 

“Don’t leave me.” Your voice was broken as you looked at him with pleading eyes. 

Flip watched as you sat up a little straighter, waiting patiently for his answer. You were desperate for him. 

Maybe you didn’t hate him… 

“Okay,” Flip nodded his head softly as he walked over to the bed. 

His eyes switched over to you as you scooted a little more, giving him more room in the bed with you. He cleared his throat as he kicked his boots off, slowly climbing into bed with you. 

He was gentle as he wrapped his arm around your shoulder, watching as you closed the space between you two. You two moved as one as you turned over to one side, pressing your back into Flip’s chest. 

Flip could feel tears forming in his eyes as he brought his head into your hair, sniffing your scent that he missed so much. He was careful not to hold you too tightly as he wrapped his arm around your waist. He couldn’t help but smile to himself as you scooted an inch closer, trying to get as close to him as you could. 

He couldn’t help but hum to himself, knowing he stayed true to his wish. He wasn’t lying on his stupid living room couch or floor. 

He was finally in a bed and it was with you. 

Finally. 

He could feel himself drifting off into a desperate sleep, knowing he could finally rest easy that you were in his arms. Right before he did sleep, he heard you whisper.

“I can’t believe you’re real…” 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

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	34. Guillotine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm super excited about this chapter!! I really hope you guys enjoy it! This chapter was inspired by the song Guillotine by Jon Bellion, so feel free to listen while you read, look up the lyrics or just listen to it on repeat like I have the last couple of days!! 
> 
> I love you guys with all my heart and keep being awesome.  
> -Dal.

Flip was lucky and he knew it. 

He was lucky the first night he met you, he was lucky when you agreed to give him your number and he was lucky to be lying down next to you now. He was also lucky that you didn’t kick him out, considering you had every right to. 

You mostly spent your time sleeping, wrapping your arms around him tightly. Flip would chuckle to himself every time you held onto him a little tighter when he shifted around in the bed. It made him happy, knowing that you wanted him with you. That you clung to him for dear life, never wanting him to leave you. 

It was also heartbreaking. 

You were so desperate for him, scared that you would be left alone again. He imagined you feared waking up in that room again, chained down like some kind of animal. You laid your head across him, listening to the rhythm against his chest. Maybe it was a reminder to you that all of this was real. That you were there with him laying right next to you.

Flip tried his hardest not to think about that, though. He tried to focus on you peacefully sleeping against him, your chest moving up and down with your soft snores. Flip slowly brought his hand over to your head, carefully moving the hair out of your face. Since you were sleeping so much, he took this time to study you. 

It brought him happiness that the color was coming back to your face, watching the medication bring life back into you. The dark circles around your eyes were still present, but just enough to look like your normal self again. Your hair was still matted, Flip desperately needing to get you a hairbrush. The thirteen freckles over your face he had memorized, knowing each placement by heart. He knew how your cheeks puffed out just a little when you started snoring. 

What scared him the most was when your eyes would move back and forth rapidly as you started to hyperventilate. He found that it would go away after a few seconds, almost like you were calming yourself down. 

No matter how many times he watched you go through that, it always made his breath hitch. Were you having a bad dream? Did you always do this in your sleep? 

He wished he would have paid attention more before… 

You were having another one of those episodes as Flip was pressing the channel buttons on the remote. His hand was resting on your back, feeling the rapid and shallow breaths you were taking. At first, he thought the TV was bothering you, so he decided to mute it. When a few seconds went by and you were still experiencing it, that’s when he started to get worried. 

“Baby?” Flip whispered, hoping it would knock you back into a peaceful sleep. Almost like a reboot. 

It didn’t work, seeing that you were furrowing your eyebrows. You were now taking shaky breaths as your bottom lip started to tremble. It looked like you were about to cry. 

“Baby?” Flip said a little louder. 

Still, your eyes were rapid as soft sobs started leaving your mouth. Flip sat up straighter, breaking the hold you had around him. 

“Baby!” He shook you gently by your shoulder, hoping to pull you back towards him. Reminding you that he was here with you. That you didn’t have to be scared anymore. 

You let out another sob as your eyes fluttered open. You gasped for air as you sat up in the hospital bed, frantically looking around the room. 

“Flip?” You whipped your head, looking behind you to meet his eyes. 

“I’m right here baby.” He gently grabbed your shoulder, carefully pulling you back against his chest. 

“I-I thought…” You trailed off as you nuzzled against him. You turned your head, hiding your face into his sweater. 

“Thought what, baby?” Flip caressed your back, trying his best to comfort you. 

He could hear your muffled cries into his sweater as you shook your head against him. Flip clenched his jaw as he looked down at you, clinging onto him again. 

You hid your face from him for a few minutes, waiting until the tears finally stopped. When you finally caught your breath, you lifted your head, revealing your bloodshot eyes. 

“I was back in my car…after the crash.” Your bottom lip trembled as you stared down at him. 

Flip lifted his hand, softly wiping your tears off. He watched as you sucked in a breath, licking your lips as you tried your hardest to get through explaining your nightmare. 

Flip felt pain in his chest as he watched you breaking down. He wanted to pull the covers off and jump on the bed, doing anything he could think of to distract you from your nightmare. 

“H-He was pulling me out of my car…dragging me across the street.” You leaned into his touch as you shut your eyes. 

“It’s all over, baby.” Flip whispered, caressing his thumb back and forth over your cheek. 

“You’re here now.” He watched as you took a shaky breath in, placing your hand over his. 

“I’m not going to let that happen to you again.” Flip leaned forward as he stressed this. 

He watched as your lip trembled again as you nodded your head towards him. 

“Ever,” Flip whispered. 

He watched as you fluttered your eyes open, wiping off the tears on your other cheek. You bit your lip as you nodded your head. 

“I know.” You blinked over at him. 

“I’m going to keep you safe.” Flip watched as his whisper caused a soft smile to form on your lips. 

He hasn’t seen that smile in so long. How fucking bad did he miss your smile? He had your picture from Thanksgiving, but it was nothing compared to this. Nothing compared to the smile you were shining at him now. 

“I know.” You repeated in a whisper. Your smile was fading, but it was still there.

Flip shook his head to himself, still taken aback by you. You were able to smile after everything you’ve been through… 

He still felt himself drowning in guilt, knowing for a fact that everything was his fault. The reason why you were ripped away. Not only from him, but from your best friend, your family and during your favorite holiday. How could he do that to you? How could he be so selfish?

As he had said, he was lucky to have you. 

All the while Flip was having his internal debate, you stared down at his lips. Flip watched as you licked your lips again, slowly leaning in. This seemed to make his stomach drop, nervous as the space between your lips was closing in. 

Flip swallowed the lump in his throat when he felt your breath hitting against his lips. He couldn’t help but feel like this was his first kiss with you. Did his breath smell bad? Were his lips chapped? It’s been forever since he kissed you, scared he forgot how to do it. He could feel his heart pounding against his chest as you scooted closer to him, licking your lips one last time… 

_ *Knock-knock-knock* _

You jumped at the noise, moving away from him as a wrinkle formed in between your eyebrows. 

“C-Come in,” You cleared your throat, glancing over at Flip for a moment. 

You two caught eyes for a moment before the door whipped open. Flip blinked over as he watched Evan, your nephew, trying to run into the room.

“Slow down, kid!” Your brother, Mark, was holding him back by his hand. 

“Sorry...” Mark cleared his throat when he saw you and Flip on the bed. “Hope we didn’t interrupt anything.” 

“Uh, not at all.” Flip shook his head, watching as your mom now walked into the room. 

Flip noticed the bags under her eyes almost immediately, telling him that she spent most of her time crying. Fifi had her hair tied up, moving her hair out of her eyes as a smile spread across her face. Her eyes were glued on you as she took a few steps towards your bed.

Flip then watched Mark crouch down to Evan’s height, holding both of his hands now. 

“Your Aunt is still sick, okay?” Mark’s voice was low as he nodded towards Evan. 

“Okay.” Evan’s lively voice repeated back.

“Remember what I said in the car?” Mark lifted an eyebrow, quizzing his son now. 

“Be careful with Auntie.” Evan rolled his head around his shoulder, getting bored with the conversation. 

“And?” Mark stressed. 

“Say hi to Flip.” Evan’s face spread with a smile, knowing that he was done repeating the rules. 

Flip looked over to you, noticing you were watching their interaction too. He could hear your giggle as you sat up straighter in the bed. Flip watched as Evan walked over to the side of the bed where Flip was laying. 

“Hi,” Evan said shyly. 

“Hey, buddy.” Flip swung his feet over, sitting on the edge of the bed. “Wanna take my spot?” Flip leaned over, waiting for Evan’s answer. 

Flip couldn’t help but chuckle to himself as Evan nodded his head frantically. Evan was already climbing in the bed before Flip could even stand on his feet. You were catching up with your brother when Fifi walked up to Flip.

“Flip…” Fifi flashed a soft smile up towards him. “Can I talk to you?” She took a deep breath as she turned her head, laying her eyes on you. 

“Of course.” Flip nodded his head. 

He watched as Fifi turned around, walking towards the door. 

“Uh-” Flip tensed up, causing your mom to stop in her tracks. Flip knew it would be harmless leaving you with your brother and nephew…he just couldn’t do it. He needed to know himself that you were okay. That nothing was going to happen in the few minutes that he would step out.

“I’d rather do it here…” Flip trailed off, gesturing towards the corner of the room. 

It took a second for her to finally agree, following behind him as he led the way. Flip took a few steps, looking over to you before turning towards Fifi. You had your arm around Evan as you looked down at him, talking to him about something. Mark stared down at you and Evan for a moment before walking over to join Flip. 

“Hey.” Mark held his hand out. “How are you doing?” 

“Uh, I’m okay…” Flip shook his hand as he glanced over to you again. You were showing Evan the buttons on the bed, moving the head up and down. 

“Thank you…” Fifi trailed off, causing Flip to turn his head back towards her. 

“Jen told us what happened.” Mark cleared his throat. “At the train station…” he lowered his voice as he looked over to his mom. 

Flip stuffed his hands into his front pockets, not knowing what to say. He looked down at his cowboy boots as images of you on the ground flashed in his mind. 

“You promised me that you would do anything to bring her home…and you did.” Fifi whispered, looking over to you on the bed. 

Flip shifted where he stood when Fifi looked up at him again. 

“Thank you.” Fifi nodded her head as tears started to form in her eyes. 

Flip didn’t know what to do when your mom took a step forward, pulling him into a hug. Flip blinked down at her, wrapping his arms around her softly. 

“Thank you.” She repeated as her voice broke. 

Flip tried his hardest not to get in the way while your family was there. He didn’t want to take any time away from you, knowing you missed them. He blended into the background when Mark was playing with Evan in the corner.

Your mom sat on the side of your bed, grabbing your hand as you caught up with her. He watched as you two laughed and cried at different times. Flip felt his heart skip a beat every time your mom would look back at him, whispering something over to you. His face started to heat up, looking away when he saw you look in the same direction as your mother. 

It was an hour later when your family walked out saying their goodbyes to you and Flip.

“You okay?” Flip asked you, taking a seat in the chair next to your bed. 

“Yeah.” You took a sharp breath in, looking over to him. “I’m okay.” You nodded your head. 

Flip chewed on the inside of his lip as he noticed you scooting over towards the other side of the bed. You patted your hand against the mattress, looking up at him as he stood from his chair. He couldn’t help the smile spreading across his face as he settled in bed with you. 

“Hi.” You hummed, laying the blanket over him. 

“Hey.” Flip smiled over to you. 

He watched as your smile faded, looking down at the sweater wrapped around his chest.

“Something the matter?” Flip adjusted himself, watching as a wrinkle formed in between your eyebrows. 

“Your sweater...” You nibbled on your bottom lip. 

Flip blinked down at his sweater, making sure there wasn’t anything wrong with it. It was a blue pullover sweater he grabbed from the back of his closet. He didn’t want to admit to you that it was the only thing left in his closet that was clean. The pile of dirty laundry grew over the time that you were gone, unmotivated to do anything other than find you. 

“What’s wrong with it?” Flip swallowed the lump in his throat. 

“Nothing.” You looked up at him, shaking your head softly. 

Flip felt his heart rate quicken as he watched your hand reach up to his sweater, picking at the collar around his neck. 

“I just…” a smile spread across your face. “...missed your flannels.” 

Flip couldn’t help but smile as he wrapped his arm around your shoulders, pulling you closer to him. 

“You don’t like the sweater?” Flip felt butterflies forming in his tummy when you continued to play with his collar. 

“Hm…” You hummed to yourself as you licked your lips. 

Flip felt every muscle in his body tense up when your eyes focused on his lips. He felt his heart drop down to his stomach as he raised his hand up to your face, softly caressing your cheek with his thumb. 

“I can always change…” Flip muttered over to you. 

“No...” You licked your lips again. “I like it…” 

You two were so lost in each other’s eyes, Flip didn’t even see the door to your room opening. 

“Oh-” 

Flip felt you jump under his hold, clearing your throat as you looked over to the door. 

“Sharon?” You questioned, tilting your head to the side. 

Flip swallowed another lump in his throat as he watched your friend from work standing in the doorway with flowers in her hands.

“We can come back…” Sharon trailed off, shifting where she stood. 

“We?” A wrinkle formed in between your eyebrows. 

Flip lowered his hand from your face when he saw Sharon stepping to the side. It was a split second of seeing blonde hair that caused his jaw to clench, teeth grinding together. 

“H-Hey...” Lauren shyly stepping into your room, whispering your name. She awkwardly stood there holding a few balloons in her hands, eyes switching between you and Flip. 

Flip turned his head towards you, curious to see your reaction. Your eyebrows were still furrowed, slowly turning your head towards Sharon. 

“What’s going on?” Your eyes glanced over to Lauren as you placed your hand over Flip’s arm. 

Flip kept his eyes on you, knowing you were sitting on anxious thoughts. Hell, even he was overthinking, not knowing what the hell she was doing here. 

“I-” Lauren took a deep breath. “I was wondering if I could talk to you…” she trailed off, looking over Sharon. 

Flip watched as you turned your head to Sharon, following her gaze. 

“Alone…” 

That’s when Flip looked over to Lauren, sitting up in bed. 

“No.” Flip was now standing on his feet. “I’m not leaving her alone.” 

He knew the journey back to your normal self would be long, knowing everything you went through…he felt like he was making progress with you, your relationship with him building back up. 

There was a lantern in your heart that was lit when you held onto him. The little flame flickered every time he had to let you go, scared to leave it unprotected. So there was no way he was leaving you alone, especially with her.

“Flip...” Sharon took a step forward. “I know you think it’s a bad idea-” 

“A horrible idea.” Flip interrupted, shaking his head over at her.

Flip could hear you shifting in bed, watching their exchange. Flip watched as Sharon set the flowers on your bedside table, walking over to Flip. 

“She just wants to apologize…” Sharon whispered up to him. 

Flip clenched his jaw as he looked over to you. 

“She will be okay, I promise.” Sharon flashed a reassuring smile over to you. “You and I will be right outside.” She looked over to Flip again. 

Flip blinked over to you as he held his fists on either side of him. 

“It’s up to you.” Flip swallowed the lump in his throat. “I’ll let you decide.” 

He watched as you nibbled on your lower lip, blinking up at him. He could tell you were thinking about it, looking between the three of them. 

He didn’t think this was a good idea. The problems Lauren caused in the past were enough, but now? After everything you’ve been through, needing not only physical rest but mental rest? It wasn’t good for your health… 

“Y-You’re not leaving?” You whispered over to him, with a wrinkle formed in between your eyebrows.

“No.” Flip shook his head instantly. He would stay by your side, not letting the lantern in your heart fade away.

He watched as you bit down on your lip, nodding your head. 

“Fine.” You whispered over to Lauren. 

Flip bit his tongue when you looked over to him one more time, fidgeting with the blanket around you. 

“I’ll be right outside, baby.” Flip leaned over to you, grabbing your hand. He gave it a reassuring squeeze, making you nod your head up at him. 

“O-Okay.” You stuttered. 

It took everything out of him to let go of your hand, following Sharon into the hall. 

“Out of everyone, I expected you to find this a bad idea.” Flip crossed his arms over his chest. 

“You have no idea how Lauren’s been since she’s been gone...” Sharon sighed, nodding towards your room.

“She couldn’t stop talking about her, knowing how she treated her.” Sharon turned her head up towards him, watching as he leaned against the wall. 

All he could do was shake his head at her. Lauren’s regret didn’t mean shit to him. It shouldn’t mean anything to you either. All she did to you was make you doubt yourself and your relationship with Flip. Sure, it was his fault for not making it clear to you where you stood at the time, but still. 

“She feels guilty, you know.” Sharon turned towards Flip. 

“About?” Flip looked down at her with a wrinkle in between his eyebrows. 

“It’s no shock she handled everything poorly…” Sharon swallowed the lump in her throat. “You know with-” 

“Me.” Flip interrupted her, clenching his jaw. 

He didn’t need a reminder. She consistently sought him out even though it was clear he wasn’t visiting her. If he wasn’t visiting you, then he was there for his partner…he knew the stress it brought you, especially after Jen made it aware to him on Christmas. He regretted not handling the situation better, not making it clear to you sooner. He should have told you how he felt a long time ago, knowing he wasted so much time without you. 

“She always regretted not giving her a proper apology.” Sharon leaned over, pressing her shoulder against the wall. 

Flip looked over to her, knowing exactly what she was talking about. Flip demanded Lauren apologize to you at the time, knowing how disrespectful she acted towards you. 

“More like a half-assed apology…” Sharon rolled her eyes. 

“Still...” Flip shook his head to himself. His blood was starting to boil, not liking the idea of you alone with her in your room. 

Sharon crossed her arms over her chest, watching as Flip shifted where he stood. He was mentally kicking himself, not opening the curtains or leaving the door cracked so he could check on you. 

“I don’t see how any of that will help her…especially now.” Flip scoffed. 

Sharon furrowed her eyebrows up at him, watching how restless he was. It was a few moments before she opened her mouth again.

“We were all worried about her.” Sharon’s voice cracked. “I remember when she didn’t show up to work…” 

Flip watched as Sharon shook her head, looking off in the distance. She licked her lips before looking up towards Flip again. 

“Everyone thought she quit but I immediately knew something was wrong.” She took a shaky breath in. 

“It’s not like her to just…walk out.” Sharon shook her head. “Not without a warning or saying goodbye.” 

Flip took a deep breath as he watched Sharon’s lower lip tremble. 

“I was working with Lauren when the news broke…” Sharon took a deep breath. “No one could believe it.” 

Flip sighed as he ran his hand through his hair as images of your car flashing in his mind. He would do anything to forget what he saw that day. The aftermath of your struggles… 

“I get why you think it’s a bad idea, I really do, Flip.” Sharon took a sharp breath in. “But I think it can help both of them move on from everything.” 

Flip clenched his jaw as he looked back at the door, getting anxious from his time away from you. 

“You don’t know the issues she’s caused, Sharon.” Flip stared at your door, hoping to get any sort of sign from you, telling him that you were okay. 

“If she really wanted to make things right, she would have left us alone. Let her rest and get better.” Flip clenched his jaw. 

“It’s cute how much you worry about her.” A smile on Sharon’s face. This made Flip turn his head back towards her. 

“Before she left…and now.” Sharon cleared her throat. “I can see how happy you make her.” 

Flip swallowed the lump in his throat at her statement.

“You make her feel safe.” She patted his shoulder.

“R-Really?” Flip chewed on his bottom lip, craving the validation she was giving him. 

“Of course!” Sharon nodded her head. “You think otherwise?” Her face twisted with confusion. 

Flip took a deep breath, running his hand through his hair again. He didn’t know what to say. He didn’t want to broadcast that he was the worst boyfriend ever, letting you get taken away from your life. That he felt he couldn’t protect you in the way that you needed, causing him to second guess his relationship with you…if you still wanted to have one. 

“Things are different now.” Flip sighed, tapping his foot against the floor. “What she went through…” He trailed off. 

“That’s why I don’t want Lauren in there with her.” He shook his head to himself. “On top of everything she’s been through…Lauren will just be the cherry on top.” Flip huffed.

“But-” 

“Besides,” Flip held his hand out, stopping her. “I don’t believe her.” Flip clenched his jaw as he stared down at Sharon. “Change of heart or not.” 

“Flip-” 

“No.” Flip interrupted again. This made Sharon move her hand off of his shoulder, bringing it back to her side. 

“She had plenty of chances to make things right with her, to actually apologize to her…” Flip shook his head again. 

“She didn’t, though.” Sharon blinked up at him. 

“I don’t even know why I left them two alone…” Flip stood from the wall, turning towards your door. 

“Flip, please-” 

Flip rolled his eyes to himself, ignoring her. He opened the door before she could say anything else to stop him. 

“I have a hard time making girlfriends…this is probably why…” 

Flip heard Lauren say this before she noticed he walked into the room. She was quick to wipe her face, blinking over to him. She sniffled a few times before she turned back to you. 

His eyes switched over to you, seeing that you were already looking back at him. You were still resting comfortably in your bed as she stood in front of you. He looked for any signs that you were upset. He stared at you for a couple of seconds before you gave him a reassuring nod. 

Flip took a deep breath through his nose seeing that you were okay. He didn’t know what he expected when he walked in. Certainly not Lauren tearing up and you looking unbothered by it. 

“I really am sorry.” Lauren’s voice cracked, back still facing towards him. “He seems to love you a lot…” 

No shit, Sherlock. 

Flip’s eyes stayed glued on you as you looked back at her. He was watching you carefully, trying his hardest to see a reaction from you. 

“I should have never inserted myself like that…” Lauren sniffled again. 

Flip felt his entire body tense up when you glanced at him for a split second. 

“I didn’t handle the situation well…I promise I’ll be better.” Lauren took a step closer to your bed, causing Flip to look over to her. 

His blood was starting to boil again. Even if you did accept her apology, there was a line that she couldn’t cross. 

“It’s okay, Lauren…” you nodded your head, glancing over at Flip as you cleared your throat. This caused Lauren to look back at him, chewing on the inside of her lip. 

“My head is starting to hurt though…” You trailed off, looking over to her again. 

“O-Oh...” Lauren looked back at you nodding her head. “I’ll let you rest then…” 

Lauren took a couple of steps back, looking over to Flip. 

“I’m sorry.” She said quickly before turning around and walking out the door. 

“I’ll see you guys later.” Sharon popped her head, waving over to you. 

“Bye, Sharon.” You smiled over to her. 

Flip awkwardly stood there as the door shut behind Sharon. He chewed on the inside of his lip as he turned his head over to you. He was almost scared talking to Lauren would remind you how poorly he acted back then. 

What if you came to your senses, sending Lauren away so you could break up with him? Maybe you realized you were better off without him. He was the reason why you were in this hospital bed… 

Flip’s mind was going a mile a minute as he stood there. He couldn’t help how often his mind derailed, thinking non-stop about how he knew he fucked up… 

It all seemed to go away for a split second, watching you peel back the blankets. Flip felt butterflies in his tummy as he slowly made his way over to your bed, carefully climbing in. 

“Do you need something for your head?” Flip whispered as he wrapped his arm around you. 

He watched as you snuggled up against him, yawning as you wrapped your arm around his torso. 

“No.” You laid your head against him, once again familiarizing yourself with the rhythm in his chest. 

“I feel okay right now.” You yawned again. 

“But-” Flip looked down at you, wanting to remind you of the complaint you told Lauren.

“I was lying before…” You yawned again. “I just wanted to lie down with you again.” 

Flip couldn’t stop himself from pulling you closer to him, smiling to himself as he made himself comfortable. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


“Flip…wake up….” 

Flip breathed through his nose, trying to recognize the voice that was whispering to him. He turned his head over, too lazy to open his eyes. 

“Flip…” The same person whispering was patting his shoulder, trying to get his attention. 

“Wake up.” 

This seemed to do the job, Flip finally fluttering his eyes open. He looked down, seeing that you were still sleeping soundly on him. Your ear was still pressed against his chest, comforted by his presence. 

Flip rubbed the sleepiness out of his eyes, turning his head to hear where the voice was coming from. He stifled a yawn when he finally put a face to the whisper. 

“Hey, Jen.” Flip’s deep voice managed to make you turn your head, now hiding your face in his side. 

“How is she doing?” Ron stepped over, now standing next to Jen.

“Better actually.” Flip watched as Jen crossed her arms over her chest. 

“How long has she been sleeping?” Jen questioned, walking around to your side of the bed. 

“Uh...” Flip looked up at the clock hanging on the wall. 

“A few hours now.” Flip looked over to Jen. “She’s been sleeping a lot lately…” Flip trailed off as he started to remember what the doctor mentioned to him. 

“Is that the nurse?” You seemed to wake up, digging your head into his side more. 

“No.” Flip chuckled, your voice vibrating against his secret tickle spot. “It’s Jen and Ron.” He mumbled over to you, rubbing his hand over your hair. 

You hummed against his tickle spot, causing him to chuckle again as he continued to run his hand over your matted hair. 

“Really?” You lifted your head, getting enough energy to sit up in bed. 

Flip bit down on his lip, trying his best to hide his smile as your face lit up, seeing your best friend. 

“Oh my God!” you gasped, throwing your hands around Jen. 

You practically yanked her in bed with you, sucking in a breath as she pressed against your chest when she hugged you back. Jen gasped when you winced in pain.

“Oh-fuck!” Jen loosened her grip, pulling away to look at you. “Are you okay? I-I’m sorry.” 

“I’m okay…” You tried your best to flash her a smile as you took a shaky breath in. 

Flip’s chest started to hurt when he watched your eyes start to tear up, grabbing Jen by her shoulders. 

“I-” your voice cracked as your bottom lip started to tremble. “I missed you…” You were gentle this time, pulling her into another hug. 

“I missed you too.” Jen’s voice was the one to crack now as a tear rolled down her cheek. 

Flip was quiet as he let you enjoy your moment with Jen. He knew that your reunion with everyone was going to be emotional, especially the one with your best friend. It was a lot to process, not seeing your friends and family for over a month.

“Listen,” Jen sniffled, pulling away from the hug. She was quick to grab your hands as she sniffled again. 

“I brought a bunch of stuff with me.” Jen looked over to a bag sitting on the floor next to the bathroom door. 

“Like what?” You smiled up at her. 

“Here.” Jen walked over and grabbed the bag. She set it on the foot of the bed as she unzipped it. 

“I brought a change of clothes for you.” She held out some pajamas, setting them down next to your legs. 

“Some stuff for you to shower with.” Jen set various bottles down on the bed, 

“And a hairbrush…” Jen held out, giggling over to you. “Which you desperately need.” She smiled over, taking a step to stand next to you again.

Flip ran his hand up and down your back as he watched your hands shoot up to your hair. 

“It’s bad isn’t it?” You giggled over to her. 

“Hey,” Jen crouched down, placing her hands over yours. “You look hot, even after everything you’ve been through…” Jen gave you a reassuring smile. 

“I’ll start the water, okay?” Jen leaned over, planting a kiss over your forehead before turning towards the bathroom. 

“Then you can get yourself cleaned up.” Jen took a few steps towards the bathroom, stopping in her tracks when you spoke.

“Wait-” You cleared your throat, looking over to Flip. 

Flip furrowed his eyebrows as he returned your gaze. You then looked over to Jen, lowering your hands to fidget with the blanket again. 

“I-I need help,” You whispered, embarrassed by your lack of independence. 

“Oh-” Jen looked over to Flip as he sat up straight in the bed. She watched as he swung his legs around, getting ready to stand from the bed. 

“I-” Jen took a quick breath, stopping Flip from getting up. “I can help her.” Jen cleared her throat. 

“Are you sure?” Flip stuttered with a wrinkle in between his eyebrows. 

He wanted to be the one to help you. A hot shower for the first time in how long? It would be an amazing feeling and he wanted to be a part of that. 

“If that’s okay?” Jen’s voice was low as she licked her lips. 

Flip glanced over to you, noticing you were still fidgeting with the blanket. He could tell you wanted alone time with Jen, almost like it was a place you could catch up with her. A place he couldn’t eavesdrop… 

“Uh-Yeah…of course, it’s fine.” Flip nodded his head. He was quick to look over to you, seeing the corners of your mouth extend to your ears as you smiled. 

He knew you couldn’t always be by his side. You needed your time alone. He just… didn’t think it would be this soon. He couldn’t help but feel…jealous. Which was ridiculous. She was your best friend…he was sure there were things she could handle better. 

“Don’t worry,” Jen looked over to Flip. “I’ll get her all dolled up for you.” 

Flip blinked over to you, watching as your face turned red. Were you… blushing? 

Flip chewed on the inside of his cheek, deciding that probably wasn’t the deal. You’ve been together for a while. You two were living together before everything happened, so why would you blush around him?? 

“Come on,” Jen smiled, walking back over towards you. “I’ll help you up.” 

Flip bit down on his bottom lip as he watched Jen slowly help you out of bed. It was your first time walking since you’ve been in the hospital so he watched you carefully, making sure you didn’t fall. 

You were trying your best to be quiet, failing as a few groans slipped your mouth as you pushed past the pain. You gripped Jen with one hand and your IV pump with the other, slowly pushing yourself to stand on your feet. 

Flip felt like he was watching a baby take their first steps. He was a proud parent as he watched you, jealousy slowly slipping away from him. Jen’s face lit up as she held your hand, whispering encouragements over to you. 

“Do we have to take this with us?” Jen pointed over to the IV pump. 

“Yes.” You and Flip stated at the same time, causing him to clear his throat. 

“It has to be continuous.” You took a shaky breath in, rolling the IV pole with you. 

You were still wobbly on your feet, stopping after a few steps to steady yourself. You would take a few deep breaths before you took a few more. It wasn’t long until the bathroom door was shut, hearing the shower being started from where he sat. 

“She looks a lot better than before…” Ron trailed off, taking a seat in the chair in front of Flip.

Flip nodded his head, still staring at the door. He knew there was no way to leave the door open, making sure you were okay. He had to come to terms that there were others that he trusted with you. That list was, of course, very short. 

“I think the rest is helping.” Flip finally looked over to Ron. 

Ron leaned over, resting his elbows over his knees. 

“How are you guys?” Ron whispered, scared the girls would hear past over the shower. 

“Uh…” Flip ran his hand through his hair. “I don’t know.” Flip cleared his throat. 

“What do you mean?” Ron’s face twisted with confusion. “Didn’t you guys talk about what happened?” 

“Kinda.” Flip sighed. “Bridges and that dick Trapp interrupted us.” Flip bounced his leg up and down, feeling the anxiety creeping up on him. 

“Well,” Ron shrugged his shoulders. “It seems like you guys are okay.” 

Flip took a deep breath, thinking about what Ron said. He could have been right… You’ve wanted him by your side the entire time, panic coming over you as he walked out of the room. You’ve held him close as you slept, pressing your ear against his chest firmly. So maybe Ron was onto something… 

But what if he wasn’t. 

Flip was still blinded by his guilt, not forgiving himself for what he did. He couldn’t stop replaying your words as you explained what you went through to Bridges and Trapp. It was horrible what you dealt with and it was all Flip’s fault. What if you would never forgive him either? All the damage he’s done to you. You were someone just wanting a normal relationship. You weren’t expecting to have a target on your back with your boyfriend to blame. No…you deserved better than that. You deserved better than Flip. 

Flip couldn’t help but turn his head towards the door again, hearing Jen’s voice. He couldn’t understand what was being said, her words being drowned out by the water through the door.

“How are you guys?” Flip licked his lips, hoping to distract himself. When he heard Ron sigh, he turned his head back towards him. 

“Could be better...” Ron shook his head, looking down at his fidgeting hands. 

“Huh?” Flip questioned. 

“We’re okay but she’s still upset that I hid the whole thing from her…” Ron trailed off as he looked up at Flip. 

Flip didn’t know what to say. It almost sounded taboo to him…he never thought of it being Ron’s fault. It was fully on Flip and he was surprised Jen didn’t think that either. 

Flip wondered how much he told Jen. Did he tell her how confused you were when you saw him? How you didn’t believe Flip was standing in front of you? How pale you looked… 

That’s when Flip started thinking of Daniel Mitchell again… he’s been thinking about him a lot lately. He did everything in his power to help his daughter, Daisy. Flip didn’t know what it was like to have a child, but he knew the feeling. He would have done anything to help you. If that meant taking a bullet for you while Ron rescued you, so be it. It just made him sad knowing you got to get better while Daisy was probably sitting at home, not getting the help she needed… That’s when an idea hit him.

“Hey,” Flip cleared his throat. “I need a favor from you,” Flip whispered over to Ron. 

Flip watched as Ron looked over to him with a wrinkle in between his eyebrows. 

“What is it?” Ron questioned. 

Flip opened his mouth but was interrupted by the bathroom door opening. 

“I’ll tell you later,” Flip muttered. 

Flip was quick to stand on his feet, watching as Jen guided you past the threshold. She held your hand as you slowly walked out of the bathroom.

He immediately noticed your eyes. They were bloodshot red. His mind was working overtime, trying to convince himself that it was because you got soap in your eyes and not because you were crying… 

He then noticed your hair was wet and finally combed through, not having any more tangles in it. You were wearing a silk button-up pajama set as you rolled the IV pole alongside you.

Flip tilted his head as a smile spread across his face. You were blushing again, looking over to him as you took a few steps towards him. He licked his lips as he walked over towards you, watching as you brought your head up, looking up at him. 

“Well,” You shrugged your shoulders. “How do I look?” You bit down on your bottom lip, lowering your head.

Flip watched as you shyly stared down at your feet as Jen led your hand to his. 

“You can help her back in bed.” Jen whispered as she walked over to the other side of the room, joining Ron. 

“You look beautiful, baby.” Flip whispered down to you, intertwining his fingers with yours. 

Flip couldn’t help but raise his other hand to your neck, slipping his fingers through your damp hair. This caused you to blink up at him, still blushing. Flip finally got it. 

After all this time of not seeing each other, you wanted to look your best for him. Like it was your first date with him, trying to impress him. It was ridiculous, really. He would find you beautiful no matter what you looked like. You were beautiful with your tangled hair and the hospital gown you were in before. It didn’t matter what you had on. 

All that mattered was that it was you. 

You took a shaky breath in as you licked your lips up at him. This caused butterflies to flutter around in his tummy, wrapping his arm around your waist gently. 

“Really?” You whispered up to him. 

He watched as your eyes switched between his eyes and lips, not knowing which one to focus on. 

“Hm.” He hummed, agreeing with you as he nodded his head.

He felt his heart pounding against his chest as he leaned forward. Were you able to hear how loud his heart was? Were you able to tell how nervous he was? He always thought of this as his first kiss, being a shy teenage boy again. Maybe that’s why you were blushing in front of him. You felt nervous like he did… 

He could feel you trembling as he softly brought you closer to him. You slowly closed your eyes as he set his lips on top of yours. He could hear you humming to yourself, almost like it was a weight off of your shoulders. 

He held onto you as he kissed you. Protecting you from everything around you. He would hold onto you, praying as your lips slid perfectly against his. 

It’s been years since Flip prayed. Even in scary moments at work, he let it play out. He found himself praying a lot when it came to you, hoping the castle that you two built together wouldn’t cave. He was going to protect you no matter what… 

Flip felt like you were still fragile, kissing you gently. He could feel you loosen your grip around your IV pole, moving your arms around him. You were holding him tight, just like how you did in the hospital bed. 

You two almost forgot you weren’t alone until Jen cleared her throat. This caused you to pull away from him, smiling. He could feel his heart skip a beat when he noticed you were still blushing.

“Right,” Flip cleared his throat. “I’m supposed to help you back into bed.” 

Flip chuckled to himself as your hand gripped around the IV pole again. He was gentle as he held onto you, tucking you into bed. 

“Uh, Flip…” Jen stepped up. 

“Can I talk to you?” Jen nibbled on her bottom lip. 

Flip made sure you were comfortable under the blanket when he looked down at you. You already knew he was checking with you as you nodded up at him. 

“Go ahead.” you whispered, leaning into the pillows behind you. 

Flip turned his head over to Ron, noticing he was already giving him a reassuring nod. 

Ron Stallworth. Not only Flip’s partner but his best friend. One of the few people he trusted you with. He already knew what Flip was asking him, scooting his chair closer to your bed. 

Flip took a deep breath, leaning over you once again. He planted a soft kiss over your forehead before following Jen into the hall. He already felt unease when she shut the door behind him. 

“Wait- _ oof _ ” Flip was interrupted by Jen’s hand slapping across his cheek. 

“What was that for?!” Flip tried his hardest to stay quiet, making sure not to worry you. His hand shot up to his face, rubbing where it stung.

“I’m sorry, but I had to.” Jen took a shaky breath in. 

Flip watched as tears started to form in her eyes. 

“I’m sorry.” her voice cracked, shaking her head to herself. 

“I had to after I saw her like that…” Jen slid her tongue across her lips, stopping her bottom lip from trembling. 

“She cried in the shower…telling me she didn’t know if she would see me again…or you.” 

Flip lowered his hand watching as a few tears started to roll down her cheeks. 

“I-” She took a deep breath. “I’m sorry…for how I treated you…” Jen trailed off. 

“No,” Flip whispered. “I get it. I would’ve done the same if I were you.” Flip swallowed the lump in his throat. 

He knew he didn’t look the best to Jen. He knew all the reasons why he wasn’t good enough for you. He knew how shitty he was for putting you through all of this. So he wasn’t going to blame Jen for how she felt. She had every right to feel the way she did.

“I was scared…she’s my best friend.” Jen blinked up at him, causing another tear to fall. 

“I know.” Flip whispered again. 

“We’ve been through hell together.” Jen shook her head. “She was with me during my parent’s divorce and when my sister was going through rehab…” 

Flip watched as Jen wiped her face with the back of her hand. 

“I was there for her when her father passed away and when she got the acceptance letter for nursing school…” Jen cleared her throat. 

“I know I haven’t made it easy for you…” She chewed on her bottom lip. 

“I know how much you mean to her…” Jen cleared her throat. “So, I’m sorry.” Jen took a shaky breath in as her bottom lip trembled again. 

“How much she loves you…” Jen nodded her head up at him. 

“Really?” Flip couldn’t explain the excitement coursing through his veins. 

“Yes.” Jen playfully rolled her eyes up at him. 

“There’s something else I wanna say.” Jen cleared her throat. 

Flip felt every muscle in his body tense up as he waited. He hoped she wouldn’t change her mind last minute… 

“Thank you…” Jen trailed off. “For bringing her home.” 

“Oh-” Flip cleared his throat, nodding down at her. “I’m just glad she’s okay…” he trailed off, feeling awkward where he stood. It was an odd thing to be thanked about. 

“I know you’re a good guy…” She took a sharp inhale. “I’ll be nicer, I promise.” 

“Thanks, Jen…” Flip smiled down at her. 

“But-” Jen pointed her finger in his face, causing him to tense up again. “Don’t ever pull any shit like that again. Do you hear me?” Jen pressed her lips together. 

“Yes, ma’am.” Flip chuckled. 

Jen smiled as he lowered her hand. 

“Man, I would hate to be Ron and piss you off.” Flip chuckled again. “You got a nice arm.” 

“I played volleyball in high school…” 

It was a moment of silence before they both laughed, breaking the ice they finally needed. 

“Let’s go back.” Jen smiled up at him, wrapping her hand around the doorknob. 

You were chewing on your lip when they walked back inside. Flip could tell you were scared for him, not knowing if Jen was chewing him out. 

“Ready to go?” Ron stood up, holding his hand out for Jen. 

“Yeah.” Jen slipped her hand into his. 

Jen was quick to turn her head towards you, watching as Flip was already climbing into bed with you. 

“We’ll be back tomorrow…” Jen trailed off, throwing her bag around her shoulder. 

“Okay,” You smiled over to her. “See you tomorrow.” 

You were quick to snuggle up against Flip’s chest as he wrapped an arm around you. You hummed as you adjusted yourself, pulling your shirt down a little by accident. Part of your chest was on display to him as you were getting comfortable but this made Flip stop what he was doing. 

Flip blinked a few times as he stared down at your chest, not wanting to believe what he was looking at. 

There was a mark on your chest…it was starting to scab over but he could still see the dried blood around it. 

He clenched his jaw when he realized what it was. 

It wasn’t quite Abigor’s mark, knowing he only made a complete ‘X’ when he was done with his victims. It was still enough to scare the shit out of Flip. 

You were closer to death than he realized…sure the concussions and bruised ribs were one thing… but this? Abigor was on the verge of killing you, adding you to the never-ending list of his victims marked up. 

Why was this the first time he saw this? You never brought it up to him or when you were being interviewed… 

You were keeping secrets and he wanted to know why you didn’t share with him… He would have taken them to the grave for you as long as you told him… 

He was still staring down at your chest when you looked up at him. He tried to look away, not wanting to bring attention to it, but it was too late. You adjusted your top, hiding the mark from him. 

Flip took a shaky breath in as you laid your head against his chest, shutting your eyes as you yawned. 

He knew you were keeping things from him…the question was how much were you keeping from him? 

You knew all the shitty things Flip has done. There were bones in his closet, but you hung stuff anyway. You still kept him by your side after all this time, holding onto him so he didn’t leave. He could see the panic on your face when you thought he wasn’t with you or when someone wanted to pull him aside. 

Maybe you would tell him on your own time? You saw how much this was eating him alive so you decided to tell him at your own pace? You knew he would do anything for you, going out of his way to make you happy. 

You knew that he loved you no matter what and he would love you, even if he lost his head. 

  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys!! Just so you know, you can buy "Flip's girl" shirts on my good friend's Etsy!!! Snag yours to show off your man ;)   
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	35. Little things

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I'm gonna keep this short because I am hurting everywhere after a long shift last night lol BUT I really hope you guys enjoy this chapter!
> 
> TW: mentions of PTSD
> 
> -Dal

You didn’t understand how this was happening. 

It didn’t make sense why you were back in that abandoned room, floor covered in dust. Your ankle ached, restrained by the same chain that was there before. You were lying on the ground with your eyes tearing up, staring up at the monster on top of you. 

Abigor and the mark on his chest was the only thing you could focus on right now. You knew the knife he was digging into your chest meant he wanted to give you a matching scar. The ‘X’ would forever mark you as his victim, showing the world that you belonged to him. He would hold onto you for as long as he wanted, holding your life in his hands. 

“ _ He tried so hard to keep you safe… _ ” Abigor’s voice echoed in your ears as he dug the blade harder into your chest. 

“ _ We watched you two very closely... _ ” You could hear the smirk on his mouth, staring into your eyes as he straddled you. 

There was something different, though…something had changed from before. He didn’t lift the blade off of your chest this time. No, he was pressing it harder. 

“ _ You did nothing about it _ .” Abigor hissed your name. “ _ And no one will help you now _ .” 

“ _ P-Please _ ...” You could hear your voice echo as you begged. “ _ I want to go home. _ ” It wasn’t long until you started crying, feeling your blood starting to trickle down your chest. 

“ _ You’re never going back _ .” Abigor laughed down at you. 

“ _ Please! _ ” You thought you were screaming, but your voice was low, almost a whisper. “ _ I want to be with Flip _ .” It felt so real…the pain from your chest was almost blinding you. 

“ _ Flip can’t save you now… _ ” Abigor tilted his head as he looked down at the work of his blade.

It felt so real. You could feel his pressure on top of your body, straddling you as he laughed again. You could practically smell him. He was right there. 

“ _ Are you ready? _ ” Abigor’s voice questioned you, a smirk plastered over his face.

“ _ F-For what? _ ” You stuttered. 

“ _ To be mine forever… _ ” Abigor grunted as you felt the blade dragging across your chest, splitting you open. 

That’s when you gasped yourself awake, shooting your eyes open as you sat up in bed. Your hand immediately went over your chest where you could have sworn Abigor was just cutting you open. You let a sob out as you looked down at your chest, noticing there wasn’t anything different from before. Just a little scab. It felt so real… 

You were back in your hospital bed, looking frantically around the room as you were trying to find Flip. Your chest started heaving when you couldn’t find him. 

“Hey, it’s okay.” Ron’s voice came from the chair next to your bed, causing you to look in his direction. 

Your body went against your wishes as your eyes started to tear up. You tried your hardest to blink the tears away, taking a few deep breaths as Ron stood up from his seat, reaching his hand out to your shoulder. 

“Just breathe…” Ron whispered over to you. “It’s okay…” He trailed off before taking deep breaths, guiding you to calm down. 

“Where’s Flip?” Your voice shook as you were still trying to calm down, following along with his breaths. 

“He’s making sure everything is all set” Ron nodded over to you. 

“What do you mean?” You questioned as you finally caught your breath, relaxing again. You looked over next to you, seeing Jen fast asleep next to you in bed. 

“Making sure everything is ready before you come home.” Ron took his hand off of your shoulder as he leaned back into his chair. 

“O-Oh…” You trailed off as you chewed on the inside of your cheek. 

You still felt shaken up from your dream. Ever since you’ve been in the hospital you’ve only dreamt about Alexander and what he put you through. Reliving the events of how he took you and his words stinging you as he kicked you when you were down. 

This was the first time you dreamt about Abigor. You didn’t want to read into it, fearing that something was triggered for you to dream about him. Was it because you knew subconsciously Flip wasn’t with you? You couldn’t feel him next to you so your mind automatically went to Abigor? 

How pathetic.

“You alright?” Ron whispered over to you, pulling you away from your thoughts. 

“Yeah…” You cleared your throat, looking down at Jen again. She shifted in her sleep, resting her head against your shoulder now. You blinked down at her, watching her slow breaths as Ron whispered your name, causing you to turn your head over to him. 

“You know,” Ron cleared his throat. “It wasn’t easy…” Ron looked down at his fidgeting hands. “...when you were gone.” He took a deep breath.

“It was hard for all of us.” He bit down on his lower lip, still watching his fingers. “Especially Flip.” 

“You should have seen him…” Ron trailed off in a whisper. That’s when he finally looked up at you. 

You took a shaky breath in as you were stuck in your thoughts. It had been so hectic while you were in the hospital, you barely had time to talk to Flip about anything. When you started to, you guys were interrupted. 

There really wasn’t time to talk when your family and friends were always at your bedside. Between that, sleeping most of the time and doctors visiting you, you barely had any alone time with Flip. 

“What was he like?” You hesitated with asking this, feeling your eyes start to tear up again. 

You couldn’t imagine how Flip was while you were gone. You lied on that floor for weeks, wondering how he reacted to you not being there. Your argument that you two had at the station didn’t help things either. You had heard those things he said about you to his chief, not knowing what the truth was. You were so heartbroken when you drove away, not knowing if you should believe what he told his chief or what he told you. 

Everything was so confusing, finding out later on that Flip did everything he could to protect you. You remembered him taking you to the store, buying locks to put around your place…not that it mattered though. After your place was broken into, he took you to a private shooting range needing to know you could protect yourself…which of course came in handy...but still. 

It was even more confusing, knowing that you two haven’t talked through everything. It was obvious he hurt just as much as you did when he had to step out of the room. A sense of panic washed over you, even when you knew he was on the other side of the door. That’s all you could think about when Lauren was telling you about her guilt. You, of course, saw how beautiful she looked while you were deteriorating in your hospital bed, desperate for a shower. 

It didn’t take up your mind for long, though. You saw how worried Flip was about you. You could tell he didn’t want to leave you alone with her. You could tell he was freaking out about it more than you were. 

Lauren felt guilty about how things were left between you. It spooked her, knowing that you could have died hating her. If that knocked some sense into her, then so be it. You weren’t really worried about her apology, though. You were worried about the fact that Flip wasn’t next to you. 

You were confused about so many things, but you didn’t care about them right now. You missed him and just needed him back in bed with you. 

“He was a mess.” Ron shook his head to himself, almost like he was reimagining it. He took a shaky breath in as his hands lifted to his head, rubbing his temple. 

You watched Ron as he looked over at Jen sleeping, lowering his voice. 

“He couldn’t cope with you being gone.” Ron leaned forward in his seat, resting his elbows on his thighs. “The guilt…it was just eating away at him.” He looked over to you.

You chewed on your bottom lip, not expecting this. All that time you spent by yourself, chained to your little corner as you thought about Flip. You were so out of it, you couldn’t help but think he felt relieved by you being gone. You always imagined he was only with you because of Abigor… 

“He blames himself, ya know?” Ron took a sharp inhale as he looked over to Jen again. 

The things you heard him tell his chief would’ve been the last thing you would hear before you died. Maybe they were true and he felt so guilty because you heard him? You heard the truth and that was the last thing you would remember him by…

“Blames himself?” You repeated back in a whisper. 

“Yeah…” Ron nodded over to you. “It killed him knowing he should have done things differently.” 

“Differently.” You muttered, furrowing your eyebrows. Your head was starting to hurt trying to keep up with him. 

“He knew he should have told you…from the beginning.” Ron cleared his throat. “I told him that day…it was stupid to bring you to the station, putting you at risk like that…” He shook his head to himself. 

Flashes of that day flooded your memory, seeing the way Abigor looked at you. You didn’t know the meaning behind him crossing his heart, not seeing it as a threat then. You took a shaky breath in as you placed your hand over your chest, still swearing the ‘X’ was there from your dream. 

“He knows what he did was dumb, hiding it from you…” Ron chewed on his bottom lip. “He still regrets it.” 

You took a shaky breath in, remembering the reason why he didn’t tell you. Flip was scared you would break up with him if you told you from the get-go. Sure, it would have put a damper on things, but you would never break up with him for that reason. 

But the big question was, would he still say those things to his chief? You couldn’t help but feel the sting still. He was proving to you that he actually cared for you, staying by your side and helping you since you were rescued, but still. There was still a little self-doubt in you telling you that he wasn’t with you for the reasons you thought. 

“I’ve never seen him like that…” Ron shook his head to himself again. “Not even when he lost his parents…” Ron trailed off, once again looking at his fidgeting hands. 

“What do you mean?” You whispered over to him when you felt Jen shifting in your bed. 

“He wasn’t himself…” Ron sighed. “Whoever he was when you were gone…that wasn’t him.”

You furrowed your eyebrows again as Ron sat back in his seat. He ran his hand over his beard, taking a deep breath. 

“He could barely function without you…” Ron trailed off as the gears in his head worked. “He never left his house, thinking that for some reason they would bring you back…” You shut your eyes at this, wishing that was true. 

“The only way he could cope with you being gone was drinking…a lot.” Ron rubbed his temples again. 

“I had to practically peel him off the floor on Christmas Eve.” Ron huffed, shaking his head to himself. 

“He stared at your picture when he wasn’t blacked out on the living room floor.” Ron cleared his throat. 

“There was one particular night…” Ron took a shaky breath in causing you to open your eyes, looking over to him. 

“Alexander and Kronos…they sent him something…a threat.” Ron turned his head to look over to you. “So he called me…to see if we could find anything to lead back to you.” Ron squinted over to you. 

“It was the last night of Hanukkah…he was a mess.” Ron whispered over to you. “He could barely get through the blessing without breaking down.”

“He made me promise...” His voice cracked as he squeezed his eyes shut. 

“Promise what?” You asked before he could finish telling you. 

“He made me promise to bring you home.” His bottom lip trembled. “He wouldn’t let me go until he passed out-”

“Stop.” You shook your head, squeezing your eyes shut. “Please.” Your bottom lip trembled.

“I-I didn’t know…” You trailed off. After everything that happened, you couldn’t imagine Flip like that. You imagined him living life or even relieved that you were gone… All that time, Alexander and Kronos always told you that he wasn’t doing anything to find you. That he wasn’t coming to save you…and you believed them.

“Didn’t know what?” Ron’s face twisted with confusion. 

“How he was when I was gone…I just figured…” You trailed off, shaking your head to yourself. 

“Figured what?” Ron whispered when Jen shifted in the bed again. 

“That he was fine…” You licked your lips, fidgeting with the blanket around you. “That he didn’t care.” You chewed on your bottom lip. 

“Are you serious?” Ron squinted his eyes over to you. “Wait...” Ron whispered your name. 

“Do you think what he told Bridges was true?” Ron scooted closer to you in his chair. 

Your bottom lip trembled as you shrugged your shoulders. Ron shook his head over to you, causing you to feel guilt washing over you. You felt yourself shrinking in the hospital bed, shaking your head to yourself. 

“You think he doesn’t love you?” Ron questioned, taking a deep breath. 

You opened your mouth to say something, but a knock on your door interrupted you. The door cracked open as a woman’s voice called out your last name. 

“Come in.” You muttered over, hoping not to wake up Jen. 

With your go-ahead, the woman behind the door stepped through, revealing herself. She was a middle-aged woman wearing a lab coat over a dress. The clicking of her heels filled your ears as she walked towards your bed. Her hair was pinned back showing the wrinkles around her eyes, showing off the years of her work. 

“Hello,” She smiled over to you. “I’m Dr. Stanford. I’m a psychiatrist here at John’s Memorial.” She held her hand out to you.

“Hi.” You shook her hand, introducing yourself. You were chewing on the inside of your cheek, wondering when Flip would be back… 

You watched as Ron stood from his chair, gesturing to Dr. Stanford to take his seat. You watched her flash a smile towards him as she sat down. That’s when you felt Jen shifting in the bed, humming herself awake. 

“What’s going on?” Her groggy voice made you turn your head over to her. 

“It’s the psychiatrist…they’re here to talk to her.” Ron whispered to Jen, walking over to her side of the bed.

“Oh.” Jen sat up in bed, rubbing the sleepiness from her eyes. 

“Hi.” Dr. Stanford flashed Jen a smile. “I was actually hoping to talk to her alone…” she trailed off, looking between Jen and Ron.

“Uh…” Ron hesitated causing you to take a shaky breath in. You knew Flip must have ordered Ron not to leave you alone, to stay glued to your side until he got back. 

“She will be okay, I promise.” Dr. Stanford flashed a reassuring smile towards him. 

“I’m okay you guys.” You whispered over to them, fidgeting with the blanket again. 

“I understand her boyfriend will be taking care of her?” Dr. Stanford looked over to Ron and Jen. 

“Yes.” Ron nodded his head. “He’s just getting everything ready at home. He should be coming back soon.” 

“Great. I would love to speak with him before she is sent home.” Dr. Stanford nodded her head over to him. 

“O-Okay.” Jen looked over to you. “We’ll be in the lobby waiting for Flip.” 

You nodded your head as Jen grabbed your hand for a moment. She was just like Flip, not wanting to leave you alone. Even with a doctor, it was sketchy to them. You understood, though. You were still on edge when Flip wasn’t with you. After all this time of being separated, it was almost like you were trying to make up for lost time. He was the only one that could lie with you, making you feel safe after everything that happened. 

So, you didn’t feel bad when you decided you didn’t want to do this. At least not now. She was trying to evaluate you, deciding if you were stable enough to go home. She was trying to pick your brain, trying to diagnose you…

You didn’t have enough energy for this. You watched as Jen and Ron quietly stepped out of the room, closing the door behind them. You took a shaky breath in as you looked over to the doctor sitting next to you. 

“So...” Dr. Stanford held her hands together, smiling over to you. “Are you excited to go home?” 

“I can’t imagine wanting to stay here.” You were staring at your fidgeting hands when you responded. Maybe you should cool it on the attitude. 

“Okay…” she laughed to herself, nodding her head. “No small talk…I’ll remember that for the future.” She took a deep breath before looking up at you again. 

“Future?” You furrowed your eyebrows down at your hands. 

“It’s obvious you went through something traumatic.” She took a quick breath. “I want to meet with you every week to manage your symptoms, maybe even get ahead of them.” 

“My symptoms?” you questioned, shaking your head now. 

“Yes.” She cleared her throat. “It’s common for patients like yourself to present with PTSD.” 

You chewed on the inside of your cheek, watching as the blanket was starting to wrinkle under your fingers. 

“You may have already started experiencing them…” She trailed off, scooting the chair closer to you. “Are you familiar with what they are?” Her voice was low, almost like she would scare you away. 

“No…” You trailed off in a whisper. Working in the hospital was different from what you saw in the textbooks. 

“That’s alright.” Her voice was quiet and calm. “I can go over them with you.” 

This caused you to finally look over to her, seeing how close she was to you. It was probably too close for comfort, but you understood what she was trying to do. She was trying to be comforting and nonthreatening. It was annoying if you were being honest.

You watched as Dr. Stanford took a quick breath before she could get into it. She was soon interrupted as the door to your room whipped open. 

“Flip.” You sat up straighter in bed, watching him rush over to you. His chest was heaving, trying to catch his breath. It seemed like he ran all the way from home by the way he was gasping for air. 

“I’m sorry…” He managed to say through taking a breath. You were quick to scoot over, giving him room to sit on the bed with you. 

You watched as Flip and the doctor introduced themselves to each other as you stared at him. You couldn’t help the sense of relief you had having him next to you. You were glad you didn’t have to do this alone. 

“This is perfect timing, actually.” Dr. Stanford nodded her head over to Flip. 

“Oh?” Flip finally caught his breath, getting comfortable as he sat next to you. 

“I like it when the caregiver, which is you in this case, is present.” She looked over to you. “PTSD doesn’t only affect the patient, unfortunately.” 

You looked over to Flip as you bit down on your tongue. He was sitting in front of you, only seeing the back of his head but you knew he was just as nervous as you. 

“I was just about to go over everything-” 

She was interrupted by Flip leaning over, reaching for something in his back pocket. You furrowed your eyebrows as you watched him pull out a small notepad and pen from his jeans. He resettled himself, clicking his pen open as he looked up at the doctor. 

It was cute, really. You never expected Flip to be a note-taker. You always thought he was just naturally smart and could remember everything. What if he was, though? Did he want to be extra thorough with you? Maybe he just knew it would be a lot to go over, not wanting to forget anything. Maybe he just wanted it to seem like he was listening...

“Sorry-” Flip’s voice brought you back to reality, yanking you away from your thoughts. 

“It’s alright.” She flashed him a smile. 

“Let’s start with the symptoms.” She nodded her head over towards you. 

“Nightmares are very common with PTSD. It can be the first to present itself.” She waited a second before Flip finished scribbling down his notes. You nodded your head, telling her to proceed. 

“You’re going to think about what happened…a lot. You’re going to have flashbacks of the events that went down and ultimately, it’s going to cause a lot of anxiety and it’s going to feel like it’s getting in the way of your normal activities.” Dr. Stanford took a breath before continuing. 

“Now, Flip…” She turned her head to look over at him. “You might notice some things will change with her.”

“What do you mean?” He lifted his head from his notepad. 

“Some days will be better than others.” She nodded her head to him. “She might want to avoid talking about what happened altogether. She might distance herself from you or others.” This caused you to start fidgeting with the blanket again. 

“I like to call it the teenage years.” She looked over to you again. “You might experience angry outbursts, self-doubt, wanting to drive fast, drinking a lot, or even keeping to yourself.” She paused. “Careless actions.” 

“She might be easily startled so no loud noises…” she trailed off before looking over to Flip. 

“She might feel intense amounts of guilt after everything that happened. Not every patient presents with this but it is very common.” She nodded her head as Flip continued to write notes. 

The scribbling was the only thing you could hear as you looked up at the doctor sitting next to you. You took a shaky breath in before opening your mouth.

“How long am I going to be like this?” You whispered over, causing Flip to stop writing. 

“If we treat it well, only a couple of months.” She sighed. “It’s going to be a long journey, but you can get there.” 

You nodded your head as you inhaled loudly. You felt Flip shifting in the bed as he looked back at you. You looked down at your fidgeting hands, fighting the tears forming in your eyes. 

“Is there…is there anything I can do?” Flip muttered, looking over to the doctor. 

“Of course.” She turned her head over towards Flip. “You can go with her to our future appointments and watch her symptoms at home.” Flip was back to scribbling in his notepad. 

“If she gets worse, it’s your responsibility to get her the help she needs. If she’s making comments about suicide or she’s not progressing we need to change up her treatments. You’ll have to recognize when she’s withdrawing and experiencing avoidance too.” She nodded her head over to him as he finished writing his notes.

“We will have weekly sessions that you’re more than welcome to come to. Some days you’ll join, other’s you will wait in the lobby for her.” Flip nodded his head over to the doctor, telling her to continue. 

“Let her take things at her own speed and just be there for her. Listen to her when she’s ready to talk and don’t pressure her.” She crossed her legs, leaning back in the chair. 

“Now,” turning her head over to you. “Are you experiencing any symptoms yet?” 

You could feel your lip splitting open as you continued to chew on it. You took a shaky breath in when you felt Flip turn his head to look over to you. Your eyes immediately looked down at your hands again, feeling embarrassed. 

“I’ve been having nightmares…” you trailed off in a whisper, not wanting to admit to it. 

“That’s okay.” Her low voice caused you to look over to Flip. He was still looking at you with his eyebrows furrowed. You knew he was worried about you, even without knowing about your recent nightmare. 

“We can talk about other medications in future sessions but I can prescribe you something for the nightmares. It’s a sleeping medication but it’s been proven to suppress nightmares. We can start with that.” She flashed you a reassuring smile. 

“O-Okay.” You nodded your head looking over to her.

“Alright. Any questions for me before I leave?” She looked between you and Flip. You quietly shook your head before looking over to Flip. When he shook his head no and closed his notepad, she stood from her chair. 

“I’ll leave my number and your next appointment on your discharge paperwork. Call me if anything happens before you come and see me, okay?” She nodded her head. “That goes for both of you.” 

“Thank you.” Flip muttered, standing from the bed. 

You quietly watched him walking her out, closing the door behind her. You felt butterflies in your tummy when he turned around, looking directly at you. 

“Hey.” You blinked over to him, feeling like you were shrinking under his stare. 

“I’m sorry that I wasn’t here.” His voice was low as he walked over to you, stuffing his hands into the front pockets of his jeans. 

“That’s alright…” You took a deep breath before you cleared your throat. You could tell he felt awkward, not knowing what to do with himself. You felt it too, but you didn’t care about it. He was here and that’s all that mattered to you. 

“Come here.” You whispered over to him as you scooted to one side of the bed. It was an instinct now, every time you saw him. You would make room for him, pulling back the covers for him to join you. He never hesitated either. You could see his eyes light up with excitement as he rushed over to you, wrapping an arm around your shoulders carefully. He was so careful with you, scared that he would shatter you more than you already were. 

“Are you doing okay?” Flip muttered down at you, pressing his lips into the side of your forehead before planting a soft kiss. 

“Hm.” You hummed, nuzzling against his chest. You closed your eyes as you inhaled through your nose, gathering his scent as much as you could. 

You shut your eyes hoping your anxiety would go down as you laid against him. You were still thinking about your conversation with Ron, your mind trying to picture Flip while you were gone. Was he really that broken without you? 

Ron mentioned something about the holidays. You were so out of it, you couldn’t make out what day was when. You laid on that floor, wondering if you would ever see Christmas lights or spend the holidays with your loved ones ever again. You never even thought of how Flip was handling everything during that time. 

What was his reaction to the decorations you hung up? You hoped he liked them, giving him the holiday spirit he needed to continue the traditions from his parents. You figured he did from what Ron said, you just didn’t want to imagine the heartbreak he was going through during it. You wanted to be a part of it, bringing you two closer together. You wanted to show him that even though Christmas was your favorite holiday, you still had room to celebrate with him. 

Your mind couldn’t focus on one thing anymore. It was desperately trying to understand Flip and this entire situation.

Alexander and Kronos pushed their beliefs onto you, telling you that no one was coming to save you, including Flip. No one cared for you, especially Flip. You were going to die on that hardwood floor without getting the chance of saying goodbye to anyone. Abigor would forever mark you as his, not giving you any hope. 

You knew you loved Flip. There was no doubt about that. You couldn’t change how he handled everything, not telling you from the beginning that Abigor was after you. Sure, you still doubted how he felt about you, but seeing how he was these last couple of weeks? You didn’t care about any of it at this point. You were still scared there was some truth behind what he told his chief but as each day passed, he was proving to you that he was really there for you. 

You thought about Flip the rest of the time you laid in that hospital bed. You barely paid attention to the doctors going over your discharge paperwork. You would occasionally nod your head when they paused for a moment, wondering if you were keeping up. It was honestly too much for you to keep up with anyways. You were glad Flip was back to taking notes as he sat next to you in bed, making sure he didn’t miss anything that they were saying. 

“Okay, a wheelchair should be here soon to take you outside.” Dr. Brewer, your primary doctor, knocked you out of your thoughts by this. You shook your head a little, watching as he stood from the chair next to your bed. 

“Wait-” You sat up a little straighter. “I want to walk out.” You furrowed your eyebrows as you looked over to Flip. He turned to look at you as he whispered your name. 

“It would be better if they took you outside...” Flip muttered over to you. 

“But-”

“You of all people should know it’s protocol to wheel patients out when they’re discharged.” Dr. Brewer smiled over to you. 

You sighed, crossing your arms over your chest. You’ve been looking forward to walking out of the hospital, feeling some sort of freedom. You couldn’t help but pout a little, feeling stupid for even caring about something this small. 

“Fine.” You took a deep breath in when the doctor flashed you another smile, walking out of your room. 

“I brought you a change of clothes.” Flip’s voice was quiet as he walked over to you.

“Thanks.” you snapped out of it, looking over to him. 

“Do you need help?” He was hesitant as he handed you a bag, looking down at you with pleading eyes. 

You wanted to say no and do it yourself. You’ve been getting help with everything since you’ve been in the hospital. Even though you felt scared and lost when Flip wasn’t next to you, you felt like you needed to do this yourself. 

“Please.” You blinked over to him. 

You just couldn’t say no to him. At least not with the way he was looking at you. You knew he desperately wanted to be there for you, helping you in every way that he could. Him being next to you helped more than he knew… 

Flip was gentle as he grabbed your hand, slowly pulling the blanket off of your legs. You felt the cool air hit your body as you stood on your feet, taking a few breaths as you looked up at Flip. Your eyes switched back and forth between his eyes and lips, not knowing what to focus on. The way he stood in front of you reminded you of when you two kissed. You felt butterflies fluttering around in your tummy, feeling like it was the first time you met him. 

You watched as he swallowed a lump in his throat, grazing his fingers down your arms. Your skin reacted in goosebumps as his fingers now grabbed at the hem of your shirt. Your breath hitched as he looked down at you, slowly pulling your shirt over your head. 

You tensed up when your mind immediately went to the scab on your chest, remembering your nightmare. You blinked up at him, noticing that Flip was staring directly at it. A wrinkle formed in between his eyebrows as he took a deep breath in. He was quick to shake his head, looking back up at you. 

You bit down on your lower lip when you felt his hands rubbing up and down your arms. You could feel chills spreading across your body as he looked down at you. You couldn’t help but tilt your head at him, wondering what he was thinking about. It was quiet for a moment before he shook his head again. 

“Here...” He lowered his hands from your arms, reaching towards the bag that was next to his feet. You crossed your arms over your chest, cold now that he wasn’t touching you anymore. You watched as he lifted the bag on the bed, rummaging around for a bit. Flip hummed to himself once he finally lifted one of your sweaters from the bag. 

“Thanks.” You smiled to yourself once you grabbed the sweater from him. You immediately recognized it, knowing it was your favorite one. 

When you finished pulling the sweater over your head, you immediately remembered how comfortable it was. You hummed to yourself as you shut your eyes, tugging the sleeves over your hands. You took a shaky breath in when you felt Flip’s hands rubbing up and down your arms again, causing you to flutter your eyes open. 

“You okay?” Flip whispered down to you. 

“Y-Yeah,” you shook your head. “This is my favorite sweater.” You bit down on your lower lip, watching as a smile spread across his face. 

“I made a lucky guess, then.” Flip chuckled down to you. You could feel his fingers rubbing soft circles on your arms.

It didn’t take much longer to change and gather your things. Flip was quick to grab everything and follow next to you as a tech started to roll you out of your room. You felt embarrassed as you rolled past the people in the hallways. People that you knew watching as you were being babied in a wheelchair. It got to a certain point where you just kept your head down, focusing on your sweater. 

“We can wait in here while you grab the car.” The tech’s voice behind you caused your head to lift back up. You chewed on your lower lip when you looked through the glass doors. This was the first time you were able to see the outside, feeling your eyes starting to sting. 

“I’ll be quick.” Flip’s voice came and went as he pushed past the door, jogging in the opposite direction. 

“Um,” you stuttered, looking at the tech behind you. “Can we wait outside?” You bit down on your lip, scared of what they would say. You almost felt guilty for asking. 

“Are you sure? It’s pretty chilly outside.” The tech responded, causing you to furrow your brows at them. 

“Please…” you trailed off, fidgeting with your sweater around your hands. You hated that your eyes were starting to tear up. 

“Okay.” The tech nodded. “Let’s go.” 

You faced forward, sitting straighter in the wheelchair. You held your breath as the tech hit a button, having the doors automatically open in front of you. You felt like a kid getting ready to have recess, excitement taking over you. 

Once you felt the breeze slapping across your face, you squeezed your eyes shut. Even though it was cold outside, the sun shining down on you was enough to warm you up. You suddenly remembered the last time you saw sunlight. You were blinded with pain when you looked into that tiny crack in your window. This time wasn’t like that, thankfully. 

You could feel the sun beating down on you, washing away the worries you were hanging onto. You took a few deep breaths since the fresh air was something you didn’t have for so long. A giggle fell off of your lips as you stood on your feet, never knowing how much you took the sun for granted. It was something you didn’t know you needed after all this time. 

“Are you alright?” 

You ignored the tech’s question, tilting your head up towards the sky. You were scared to open your eyes, fearing that it would hurt your head like last time. Instead, you just kept your eyes shut, feeling the sun hitting against your skin. You couldn’t explain how satisfying it felt, finally seeing the daylight in person. You weren’t relying on a tiny ray of sunshine to count footprints, trying to keep yourself from going insane. No. You were free. 

Finally free. 

You couldn’t stop the tears falling down your face now, feeling the wind blowing your hair around. You blinked your eyes open when the tears finally stopped. You watched as that familiar red and white truck parked in front of you. You watched as Flip stepped out of the truck, rushing over to you. He could see the tears still drying on your face as you looked over to him. He placed his hand on your lower back as he took a step closer. 

“What’s the matter?” He whispered over to you. 

“Nothing.” you shook your head up at him, wiping the tears from your face. “It’s been forever since I’ve been outside.” You lifted your other hand to his chest, laying your hand against his flannel. 

“I’ve got her.” Flip mumbled over to the tech, dismissing him. The wheelchair being rolled away filled your ears as you looked up at Flip again. You noticed a worried look on his face, not knowing what was wrong. 

“I’m sorry.” Flip shook his head down at you. “We have to go.” He said in a whisper, knowing he was disappointing you. 

“No...” You furrowed your eyebrows up to him. “Please…”

“I’m sorry.” He repeated, swallowing a lump in his throat. 

“Just a little longer.” You blinked up at him with your pleas. You held your breath when you felt your eyes start to sting again. You didn’t want to cry in front of him, throwing a fit like a little kid. He was quiet as he wrapped his arm around your waist, softly whispering your name. 

“We have to go…” He muttered. 

You could feel your heart break at that moment, nodding up to him. You weren’t mad at him or anything. You knew you couldn’t stay out here forever. You just wanted more time to enjoy it. You looked down at your feet as Flip led you to the passengers' side of his truck, opening the door for you. He guided you in the seat, handing the seat belt over to you. 

When you heard the click of your seat belt you looked over to him. He was still staring at you with furrowed brows. You could tell he felt guilty for shoving you in the car when all you wanted to do was enjoy the sun. 

“I’m sorry…” He trailed off, reaching for the knob on the side of the door. You licked your lips as a wrinkle formed in between your eyebrows. You were curious to see what he was doing until you saw him rolling down your window. 

“I’ll take the long way home so you can enjoy the scenery…how does that sound?” He stared over to you, watching as you nodded your head. 

“I’d like that.” You flashed a smile over to him. If you couldn’t stay outside, then that was the next best thing. You kept your eyes on him as he carefully shut your door, walking around and climbing into the drivers' side. 

You wanted nothing more than to lean your head against his shoulder as he drove, but you couldn’t. You couldn’t pass this up. You held your hand out, moving it around to feel the sudden changes in directions that the wind took. You could still feel the sun hitting your skin and your hair blowing around. 

You could see out of the corner of your eye that Flip would turn his head at you. You knew he still felt bad, checking if you were okay. You were, of course. It wasn’t his fault that you wanted to stay outside until sunset. It wasn’t his fault that you were acting like a spoiled brat. You were just glad that you were able to still see outside. You were happy, even. Especially when Flip grabbed your hand, rubbing back and forth with his thumb. You couldn’t stop smiling to yourself, not knowing how things couldn’t get better than this. Sure, you were having nightmares and you were still weak, but at this moment, you couldn't complain. 

You were excited when you saw the familiar streets of your new neighborhood, knowing you were almost home. For the first time during the entire car ride, you turned your head over to Flip. You imagined him to be just as happy as you were. A smile on his face as you held each other's hand. You were surprised when he was chewing on his bottom lip, a worried look on his face again. He wasn’t how you expected him to be. 

That’s when you felt his truck slow down, pulling into his street. You turned your head, looking out the front window. That’s when your smile started to fade. 

“What’s going on?” A wrinkle formed in between your eyebrows when you noticed a group of cars parked outside Flip’s house. Your eyes were quick to look over to the sign posted in the front yard. 

“Welcome Home.” you read the sign out loud. When Flip put his truck in park you noticed there were Christmas lights hung around his house. This made you perk up in your seat, finally being able to see one of the things you missed the most.

“Surprise.” Flip turned his head over to you, a soft smile on his lips now. 

“Flip?” you shook your head, trying to understand what was going on. His smile grew as his hand squeezed yours. 

“Come on, they’re waiting. Let’s go inside.” Flip nodded his head before letting go of your hand. You licked your lips as you watched Flip step out of the truck, walking over to your side. He opened your door for you, guiding you out. 

You felt butterflies fluttering around in your tummy as you stepped closer to the door, not knowing what to expect. 

“What did you do, Zimmerman?” You whispered over to him, watching as he slid the key in the front door. You held your breath when he slowly opened the door, revealing a group of people waiting for you. Jen, Ron, Mark, Evan, and your mom all gathered around the living room, smiling over at you. Your attention was then stolen by the Christmas lights still hung around the living room. 

“What is going on?” You smiled, looking around the room and stopping on Flip.

“We’re playing catch up.” Flip wrapped his arm around your waist, pulling you closer to him. 

“Christmas, Hanukkah….everything!” Jen stole your attention from him. 

You couldn’t help but shake your head to yourself. That moment you realized something. You were going to make a promise to yourself to never take things for granted anymore, even the little things. 

“Ready?” Flip whispered over to you. 

“Yeah.” 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What did you guys think? 
> 
> See you next week! ;)
> 
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	36. Burden of guilt

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my goodness!! It feels like forever since I posted!! Some of you know that I went on a break just to help with my mental health but when I came back my state got snow, power outages, and no hot water... luckily I'm staying with a friend right now so you guys are getting new chapters of BTC and This isn't going to end well?
> 
> Hope you guys are staying safe and warm! 
> 
> TRIGGER WARNINGS: mentions of ptsd, overthinking, guilt, etc...
> 
> Stay simping!  
> -dal

It was all your fault. All of it.

How could you do this to your friends and family? You were the idiot who got themselves kidnapped while ruining everything for everyone. They just wanted to enjoy their holidays, but they spent it worried about you. It was your fault everyone had to play catch up. It was your fault that they had to come to Flip’s place, hoping to fill the void of missing out on the most wonderful time of the year.

Did Evan get a proper Christmas? He was a kid and didn’t deserve anything less. He needed to watch Christmas movies and enjoy all of the gifts he would get. Did he even get gifts? Was everyone just too worried about you to get him anything? You probably ruined Christmas forever for him…

Flip was stuck at home, dealing with everything you left behind. All the decorations you put up were one thing, but all your belongings? He probably didn’t know what to do with them. They were probably in the way while he was trying to find you.

It was Jen and Ron’s first Christmas together and they spent it taking care of Flip. They were perfectly happy and you had to cock block one of the most important ‘firsts’ for them. What if they held some sort of resentment towards you?

You were a burden on everyone and it was all your fault. It was the only thing you could think about while you sat on Flip’s couch, everyone taking their turns handing you a gift. Gifts you didn’t deserve. Your mom got you a nice pair of pajamas, your brother got you a handbag and Ron got you a new sweater. Jen went completely overboard, of course. She got you a nice bottle of wine with a note attached “ _Drink only when you’re cleared_ ”, a pair of _really_ expensive earrings, a fuzzy blanket, and your favorite movie on DVD. You sat there quietly, looking at everything you were given. Things you felt like you had to earn. How was you coming home enough for you to get gifts? It was just money wasted on their end.

Flip sat next to you with his arm around your shoulder. You would look over to him every so often, seeing a smile plastered over his face. You could see the Christmas lights twinkling in his eyes, making him look like a kid getting ready to meet Santa Claus. You knew he was happy to have you back home, but at what cost?

You were damaged. You would never be the same and he would have to deal with that. That was until he decided to break up with you. Especially after the psychiatrist told you what you would experience? You were surprised he didn’t leave already.

“Remember when we used to go caroling in your mom’s neighborhood?” Jen laughed over to you. Her question shook you away from your thoughts.

“Y-Yeah.” You tried your best to flash a smile over to her, nodding your head. You could hear Flip chuckle under his breath as his fingers traced circles onto your shoulder.

You knew you were being ridiculous, but you couldn’t help it. It wasn’t your fault Abigor took you. It wasn’t your fault that your family had to miss out on the holidays. It wasn’t your fault that you were feeling like this…right? It was PTSD, just like Dr. Stanford explained. You would feel guilty for what happened. Your family and friends were trying to welcome you back home after a very stressful time for you…it wasn’t anyone’s fault except for Abigor and Alexander. They were the ones to blame. They were the ones to put you through that.

“I swear we weren’t drunk for that either!” Jen laughed again, throwing her head back. This caused you to look around the room. Everyone had smiles spread across their faces, except you. Even your nephew was laughing as he ran around the living room with Flip’s badge. He had no clue what was going on, just wanting to fit in.

Even though you kept reminding yourself that it wasn’t your fault, you were having a hard time believing it. You had a room full of people that loved and cared for you, yet you felt like you didn’t deserve them.

“Well.” Your mom stood from her chair. “I think I’m going to call it a night...” She trailed off, walking over to you. You licked your lips as you stood on your feet. You swallowed the lump in your throat as she wrapped her arms tightly around you. You closed your eyes as she swayed you from side to side.

“Get some rest, okay?” She whispered in your ear. “I know Flip will take care of you.” Her words made your eyes flutter open, bringing to your attention that everyone was now standing from their chair.

When your mom let go, Jen was next to hug you. She whispered in your ear how much she missed you and how glad she was that you were home.

“When your doctor clears you we can have a night with wine and Chinese food!” She hugged you a little tighter. “Just like old times.”

Your brother was next, holding Evan in his arms. Your brother patted your back, telling you that he hoped to see you back at his place for the next football game, wanting you to cheer right next to him.

Ron was next as he walked over to you. He flashed you a smile before carefully wrapping his arms around you. You couldn’t help the laugh that poured out of your mouth once he pulled Flip into the hug. Everyone in the room was on cue with their ‘aw’s’, causing you to pull away with a smile on your face. Maybe you did deserve them. They all made you so happy and you were truly glad to be back at home with them.

You were chewing on your bottom lip as you locked the door behind everyone, leaving only you and Flip. You took a shaky breath in as he stood beside you, turning his head towards you.

“I have a surprise for you.” Flip fidgeted with his fingers. You watched as he swallowed the lump in his throat along with his nerves.

“I know you got a lot of gifts tonight…” his hands now found your arms, caressing them up and down. “But I wanted to give you mine when we were alone.” Flip stared down into your eyes, trying to see your reaction.

“Okay.” You nodded your head softly up at him. You had to admit, you were nervous. You weren’t expecting anything from him. You figured that him finding you and bringing you home was enough. You really couldn’t ask for anymore…

“I have two things, actually.” He muttered, furrowing his eyebrows down at you. It seemed like he was trying to see if that was okay with you, scared that you would reject him.

“Flip, you really didn’t have-”

“I did…” He interrupted you. “Please?” He took a shaky breath in, moving his hands down your arms. His hands slid down until his fingers intertwined with yours, holding onto you.

“Okay.” Your lips curled into a smile, watching as excitement took over him. He was quick to smile down at you, releasing his hold on your hands.

“Stay here.”

You heard the thuds of his cowboy boots against the hardwood floors as he ran up the stairs. You shook your head to yourself, still a smile over your lips. You could feel your head starting to pound as you thought of the endless possibilities of what he could have gotten you. You really didn’t need anything from him. As long as he was with you, you really couldn’t complain.

You felt your safest with him. Even more so at his place. The hospital was too out in the open. Anyone could have walked in. Here, the doors at least had a lock. Of course, that didn’t matter. If someone really wanted to get in, a lock wouldn’t stop them…

No. You couldn’t think about this. Not now. You were at home and safe. You were with Flip and he would protect you. He even said he would. So why were you freaking out? Maybe it was because he wasn’t next to you or that the last time you stood in this living room was right before you were taken?

Is this how Flip felt? The decorations just mocking him as they hung around the room? It was almost like it was taunting you, a horrible reminder that you were gone. You were gone for months while everything just stayed up. It was almost like this place was frozen in time.

How did he stare at everything for so long? He just dealt with it, forever hearing the echoes of you being gone. Did he use it for some kind of motivation? Punishment? You wanted to ask him, but remembering Ron telling you how hurt he was stopped you. There was no point in making him relive it. Especially if it just fed into your guilt. You were already dealing with enough of that, drowning in your own thoughts. You couldn’t start thinking of his state while you were gone. While you were stolen away from your life…it would have just made things worse.

You felt a sense of relief when you heard Flip’s cowboy boots again, coming down the stairs. You furrowed your eyebrows when you noticed his hands were empty as he walked over to you. His large hand swallowed yours, intertwining his fingers with yours. He was gentle as he tugged you back towards the living room.

You were once again greeted by the decorations hung around as he brought you to the middle of the room. You licked your lips as you looked around, trying to get a hint of what was going on. Flip whispering your name made you turn to face him again. You watched as his hand dug around in the back pocket of his jeans. He cleared his throat as he took out a velvet rectangular box.

“Here.” You could hear a smile on his words as he handed over the box to you. You furrowed your eyebrows as your fingers wrapped around the box, feeling the soft material. You couldn’t help but feel butterflies in your tummy, nervous to even open it.

No matter what it was in there, did you even deserve it? Flip already did enough for you. He rescued you and stayed by your side...you still questioned everything. Sooner or later he’s going to truly realize the baggage you’re dealing with.

“Open it.” he gestured with his hand, impatient to see your reaction. This made you nod your head, shaking the bad thoughts away.

You took a deep breath as your fingers grazed the material, admiring it for a moment. It wasn’t until you cleared your throat that your fingers pulled the lid open, revealing a silver chain. You swallowed the lump in your throat as your eyes started to sting.

“My necklace…” You trailed off studying the charm. The wave line that turned into a jeweled heart stared back at you. You could have sworn it sparkled up at you, the Christmas lights reflecting off of it.

You remembered lying on that hardwood floor missing this necklace. It was the only piece of Flip that you had left and it was lost in the crash. The only part of him you had and you never thought you would see it again.

“Well, this is a different one…” Flip trailed off as he grabbed the box from you. You watched his fingers carefully peel the necklace, placing the box onto the couch. He nodded his head, gesturing for you to turn around.

You felt the corners of your mouth curl with a smile as you turned around, back facing him. Your hands were quick to lift your hair, revealing your neck to him. Even if it wasn’t the same one from before, it still meant a lot to you. You loved fiddling with the charm, being reminded of who gave it to you.

“There,” Flip mumbled over to you once he was done clasping the chains together. His hands caressed your arms, guiding you as you turned to face him again. You watched as a smile formed on his lips, looking down at the charm around your neckline.

“Does it look okay?” You mumbled up to him. You felt shy all of a sudden as he was now staring down at you. It was pathetic that you craved his validation, him being the only one you didn’t want to disappoint.

“You look beautiful, baby.” He grabbed your hands once again as he pulled you closer to him. You could feel chills spreading across your entire body as the smile across his face grew.

How could you ever doubt him? The way he was smiling down at you was proof enough that he was telling you the truth. All that time apart, you really should have had faith in him. You were being fed lies and you believed them, thinking that he didn’t care for you. Like you said before, it was Alexander and Abigor’s fault...no one else’s.

“So...” He rubbed his thumb back and forth over your hands. “Ready for your next gift?” He hummed down at you.

“Flip, you really didn’t have to get me anything else.” You shook your head up at him. You tried to reassure him by squeezing his hands, but all it did was result in him tsk-ing down at you. He chuckled to himself as your name dripped off of his mouth, almost like it was music to his ears.

“I thought you knew how stubborn I am.” He took a step forward, causing you to take a step back.

“I do…” You trailed off. You took another step back as he started slowly walking, leading you over to the window.

“So, you should know that I’m going to give it to you anyways.” He released the hold on your hands, now wrapping his arms around your waist. Your breath hitched as your chest was now being pressed against his. You couldn’t help but have that nervous feeling again.

It seemed like he was nervous too, now chewing on his bottom lip. He took a shaky breath in as one of his arms loosened around you. You stayed quiet as you watched his hand reach behind him again, grabbing something from his back pocket again. You could feel his anxiety dripping off of him as he finally revealed the item to you. It was a lighter and that familiar box of candles you bought a few months back.

“I know Hanukkah is already over, but I was hoping to light the candles with you…” Flip trailed off, causing you to look up at him. He was still chewing on his bottom lip, waiting for your reaction. He was desperate to know what you thought, hoping you would like it.

“I can recite one of the blessings…show you what my parents did when I was younger.” His voice cracked as he blinked down at you. You glanced at his now shaking hand, scared to hear your answer.

“I would love that.” You smiled up at him, watching the stress drip off of him. You watched as the corners of his mouth curled into a smile.

Flip was gentle as he released his hold on you, grabbing your hand. He tugged you along to the little table in front of the window. Right where you left it, the menorah shined up at you, screaming for your attention. His hand now resting on your lower back, making you take a step closer towards it. Your chest stuttered with a breath as you felt his chest pressing against your back.

“Each night you add a candle, lighting from right to left.” You could hear Flip mutter as he grabbed a candle out of the box. You watched as his hand placed the candle in the last spot on the left.

“We can do the eighth candle now.” Flip’s left arm wrapped around your waist, pulling you closer against him. You shut your eyes for a second as you embraced his hold on you. He swayed you back and forth for a moment as he hummed down at you. You could feel his nose dipping into your hair, inhaling your scent.

“Here.” Flip whispered, causing you to flutter your eyes open. You saw him holding out the lighter in front of you, gesturing for you to grab it. You took a shaky breath in, your hand stuttering to grab it.

Your fingers peeled the lighter from his hand when he started to sway you again, comforting you so you felt safe again. You cleared your throat as you ignited the lighter, watching the small flame piercing your vision. Your skin reacted in chills when you felt Flip’s large hand wrapping around yours, guiding it over to the unused candle.

Flip leaned his head forward, resting his chin against your shoulder, humming to himself as he pulled you closer to him. You could hear his deep voice echoing into your ear as he spoke in a different language. You could hear him stutter a few words, rusty at speaking what you assumed was Hebrew.

You couldn’t help but smile when you watched your hand being swallowed by his as it lit the candles in front of you. You wanted nothing more than this, giving him some sort of nostalgia that his parents left behind. You were getting what you wanted, being a part of his traditions. You were getting to know him better, seeing a glimpse of his past. The smile on your face started to fade when his voice started to crack.

A wrinkle formed in between your eyebrows when you could feel his chin quivering against your shoulder. His hand was shaky as it released its hold over yours, wrapping his other arm around your waist.

“Flip?” You mumbled, releasing the switch on the lighter. You watched as the flame died, turning your head over to him. Right on cue, Flip hid his face into your shoulder, his chest heaving as he started to sob. You felt your heart stop, not knowing what was going on. You managed to set the lighter down on the table in front of you, turning around to face him. His face was now hidden in the crook of your neck, feeling his tears falling onto your skin.

“Hey, hey…what’s going on?” You snaked your fingers through his hair, trying your best to lift his head. Flip continued to cry on your shoulder, reluctant to look up at you.

“Flip, please…what’s going on?” Your lip was starting to tremble now. You could have sworn the color in your face drained, scared that he was finally coming to his senses.

This was all too much for him. He thought he could handle having you home with him, but lighting the menorah reminded him of all the hurt he experienced while you were gone. Maybe he thought he could handle you and your baggage, but seeing how damaged you really were was a shock to him.

Maybe this was it. Maybe he was going to break up with you and he could finally be free. He wouldn’t have to carry around the guilt around anymore. He rescued you and nursed you back to health. He wouldn’t feel the regret of not telling you about Abigor all that time ago. He had his slate cleaned, knowing he didn’t owe you anymore. Maybe he was crying because he was scared of how you would react.

You would have to be by yourself now. Going to your appointments alone, waking up to an empty bed after a nightmare…you could start to function without him, right? Eventually, the pain would go away. You would miss him less and less every day.

You would eventually…right?

“P-Please...” You rubbed your hand over his hair, trying to comfort him. “Say something.” You begged. You needed him to tell you what he was thinking. If he didn’t you would spiral into more chaos. The more you were alone with your thoughts, the more you convinced yourself that he wanted to leave you.

“I-” Flip shook his head. You could hear him taking a few deep breaths, finally calming himself down. He stopped sobbing into your neck just long enough for him to raise his head, revealing his bloodshot eyes. You furrowed your eyebrows up at him as you raised your hands to his face, wiping his tears away with your thumb.

“I don’t think I can ever forgive myself for what happened.” He mumbled down at you, turning his head away from you. He was trying his hardest to avoid your gaze, embarrassed to show you how truly broken he was.

“W-What?” You stuttered up to him. You watched as his bottom lip trembled as he tried to turn away from you. Your hands worked fast, gripping his shoulders. You stopped him before he could walk away from you, wanting to keep him next to you.

“I put you in danger.” He squeezed his eyes shut, causing a tear to roll down his cheek. Your heart shattered at the sight of him like this.

“I was just so scared.” He whispered your name, shaking his head to himself. “I was scared you weren’t going to come back.” He sucked in a breath, hoping to stop the sobs coming from his chest.

“I was terrified.” More tears started to fall down his cheek. “That I would never see you again.” Flip wrapped his hands around your waist, pulling you closer to him. You licked your lips as you took a step closer, running your fingers through his hair. It was heartbreaking to see him like this, not knowing how truly hurt he was without you.

“I don’t know what I would have done i-if they…” Flip trailed off as his voice started to crack again. You watched as his chest started to heave, his cries filling the room around you. You watched as the candles behind you lit up his face just enough for you to focus on the stream of tears falling down his face.

“If they what?” You tilted your head over to him with a low voice. You were now running your hands up and down his arms, hoping to make him feel better. Remind him that you were safe and you were finally back at home with him.

You bit down on your tongue, stopping your own tears when you saw Flip fall down onto his knees. His cries were growing louder as he still held your waist. He leaned his head against your hip, crying your name over and over.

“If they killed you…” You barely heard him through his cries, making your heart shatter. You were almost wincing at the sound, deciding you never wanted to hear him cry again. He didn’t deserve this. He was beating himself up, feeling like everything was still his fault. You didn’t see it that way so he shouldn’t either.

Your bottom lip trembled as you looked down at him. He was still crying into your hip, still holding onto you. He held you so tight, almost like this whole thing was a nightmare. That at any moment, he was going to wake up and realize you were back at that train station.

“I was scared that you hated me.” His voice was muffled as he spoke against your hip. “That you would die not knowing how I really felt about you.” Flip’s chest continued to heave, hyperventilating as he tried to keep up with his cries. You couldn’t help but squeeze your eyes shut. Seeing him so broken like this was hard already.

“I’m sorry…” He repeated this over and over as he continued to sob against you. His hold on you got tighter, shaking your body a little. When he wasn’t apologizing he repeated that he was stupid, making the mistake of telling his chief those awful things.

You knew at the time that you were upset with him, running away like you always did. What else could you do at that moment? Hearing all those things after you two moved in together? You didn’t even want to look at him. You needed as much space from him before you did something you would have regretted. Looking back at it now, you wished you would have stayed. The things you could have possibly said back to him would have been better than everything else that happened.

It was your fault for causing him this much pain. It was your fault that he kept blaming himself. He would never be able to forgive himself and it was all because of you. He was on his knees, begging for your forgiveness when in reality things should have been reversed. It was your fault for putting him through all of this.

“I don’t blame you if you want to leave.” Flip shook his head against you, voice cracking as he held back a sob. “If you want to break up and blame everything on me.” He started sobbing again at this, making you shake your head down at him.

What? He thought _you_ were going to break up with _him_? That didn’t make sense at all. The entire night you feared he was going to leave you. Why would you leave the one person that made you happy? That made you safe? The only thing that gave you that final push to survive, pulling the trigger at Abigor. The only reason you didn’t completely give up.

Flip Zimmerman, such a foolish man.

“Flip...” You sucked in a breath as you lowered yourself onto your knees, groaning as pain shot throughout your entire body. “Look at me.” Your hands were on either side of his face, directing him to look at you. For a moment he resisted, shaking his head and looking down at the floor. It wasn’t until you lowered yourself more, feeling your heels digging into your bottom.

“I love you.” You shook your head over to him. “Nothing ever changed that.” You wiped his tears off of his face again. You looked into his bloodshot eyes, watching as he was crumbling away in your hands.

“I don’t blame you for what happened.” Your eyes switched, studying his face carefully. “Everything that happened…” you trailed off, caressing his cheek with your thumb. You watched as his bottom lip trembled, on the verge of tears again. As you rubbed your thumb back and forth, he shut his eyes.

“It wasn’t your fault, Flip.” You scooted closer to him on your knees, causing you to suck in a breath through your teeth. Even after weeks in the hospital, you could still feel the bruises over your body from the floors you laid on. Your reaction caused Flip to shoot his eyes open, shaking his head over to you.

“You shouldn’t be on the floor, baby.” He lifted his hands to your face, furrowing his eyebrows over to you.

“It’s okay.” You took a shaky breath in, still caressing your thumb. “It’s okay, baby.” You softly smiled over to him.

“I need you to know something.” You blinked over to him, feeling his fingers intertwining through your hair. Your body was starting to react in chills, missing his touch.

“W-What?” He stuttered over, scared that you were still going to leave him. You swallowed the lump in your throat as you smiled over to him again.

“Even after I heard you say those things to Bridges...” You could see his lip starting to tremble again. “I knew you loved me.” You shook your head over to him.

“Really?” His voice was low, scared to show any sort of excitement.

“Yes.” You nodded your head, confident in your answer. “You _showed_ me that you loved me.” Your finger swiped his cheek, catching a tear before it rolled down his cheek. His eyes were still red, staring back at you.

“I was irrational at the moment, running away like that.” You bit down on your lip, guilt washing over you again. You took a shaky breath in as he rubbed soft circles into your scalp. He whispered your name, trying to comfort you.

“No.” You shook your head. “It’s okay…” You trailed off, shutting your eyes for a moment. You took a deep breath before you looked over to him again.

“You tried your best to protect me and I didn’t even say thank you.” You felt your eyes starting to tear up, smiling over to him.

“You showed me how to protect myself.” Your voice was mimicking your lip, shaking as you tried to get through your sentence. You watched as his gaze switched back and forth between your eyes. He was on the verge of tears again as his hand trailed around your body. His hands rubbed up and down your back as a tear rolled down his cheek.

“You’re the reason I’m here.” You could feel your throat starting to burn. You were trying so hard to hold back the tears, trying to stay strong for him. Everything was building, you felt like you were about to burst. So when one tear fell down your cheek, it was hard for you to stop it.

“You’re the reason I’m alive.” You were surprised Flip understood you, your voice shaking so much. You didn’t know what hurt more, the burn traveling down your throat or seeing Flip so heartbroken.

“You were the one to protect me after all this time, making me feel safe.” You took a shaky breath in, feeling his arms now wrapping around you tightly. He pulled you closer to him as he whispered your name, soothing your nerves.

“So, don’t think for one second that I would blame anything on you.” You chewed on the inside of your cheek. “I don’t love you any less after everything that happened.” Your chin quivered as you shut your eyes. You were still drowning in your guilt as you closed your eyes shut, scared to look over to him.

“I love you so much, Flip…” Your fingers started to play with the ends of his hair. You were trying your best to fiddle with something, hoping to distract you. You still had your eyes shut, hearing Flip as he sniffled. You could feel his body moving closer to yours, pressing his chest against yours.

“I love you too, baby.” His soft murmurs caused you to look up at him. He stared down at you with those big brown eyes that you loved so much. Your eyes studied his face, looking at the various freckles and moles you missed so fucking much.

“Please...” He whispered, causing a wrinkle to form in between your eyebrows. “I heard what you told Bridges and Trapp.” He shook his head over to you.

“What?” Your face twisted with confusion, not knowing what he was talking about. You blinked a few times, trying to remember your conversation with the two men a few weeks ago.

“You were on the floor for weeks…” he mumbled over to you, hoping you would remember. His eyes were pleading, wanting you to stand back on your feet.

“You shouldn’t have to be on the floor anymore.” He stood on his feet now, bent over as he placed his hands over your hips. You could feel his fingers gripping around your curvaceous waist, guiding you to stand.

You felt embarrassed by the groan you let out, your knees in excruciating pain as you relieved the pressure from it. You rested your hands over his shoulders as he eased you on your feet, whispering praises over to you. You took a deep breath, turning to face him. You shyly blinked over to him, remembering how tall he stood over you. You took a shaky breath in when he took a step forward, causing you to tilt your head upwards.

You felt butterflies fluttering around in your tummy as he lifted his hand to your cheek. His brown eyes were focused on your lips, causing you to swipe your tongue over them. You swallowed a lump in your throat when Flip whispered your name. It seemed to send shivers down your spine as you took a step closer to him. You slowly shut your eyes when he leaned in, softly setting his lips against yours.

For the first time tonight, you weren’t worried or had guilt washed over you. You didn’t feel like anything was your fault, drowning in your thoughts. You weren’t scared that anyone resented you, ruining their night with you back at home.

Everything was calm now, the storm clouds in your mind gone. As Flip kissed you, you felt like everything was okay. You forgot about all your baggage and the fact that you would never be the same again. You forgot about how you were stuck feeling like this for at least a few months or more. It was just you and him and there wasn’t anything that could make you happier.

You could feel Flip’s hand now resting on the side of your neck as his other hand rested on your lower back. The simplest touch he had on you seemed to spread heat across your skin. It was so long since he held you for this long, never wanting him to let you go. When his teeth gently tugged your bottom lip, you couldn’t help the soft moan that poured out of your mouth.

You were almost embarrassed by how fast you were practically melting under his minimal touch. You could feel your skin starting to flush as Flip chuckled against your lips. You could feel his hand slide down your sides, wrapping both of his arms around your waist. He was quick to press his lips against yours again, sliding his tongue into your mouth now. A soft moan buzzed against his lips as he held you tighter, not wanting to let go of you.

You hummed against his lips as you snaked your hands into his hair, softly tugging until you got a reaction from him. He pulled away from the kiss, leaning his forehead against yours. You took a shaky breath in as you blinked up at him. You ran your fingers through his hair as he whispered your name against your lips. It was enough to cause chills to spread to your entire body, now biting down on your bottom lip. Flip bent down, snaking his hands down your body and stopping right below your bottom.

“I love you so much.” He mumbled against your lips, wrapping his arms around your legs. You couldn’t help the giggle slipping past your lips as he lifted your feet off of the floor. Your legs instinctively wrapped around his waist as he pressed his lips against yours again. He hummed against your lips as you felt his arms grow tighter around you. You were so lost in the kiss that you barely noticed him walking you two up the stairs, kicking the bedroom door open.

He was gentle as he laid you across the bed, hovering over you. Your lips were torn apart from his as he stared down at you. He swallowed the lump in his throat as he lifted his hand to your neck, tracing his finger just under your new necklace. Your body reacted in chills again, feeling like this was the first time he touched you this way.

You chewed on the inside of your cheek as you lifted your hands to his flannel, slowly working on his buttons. You undid one by one as they revealed his thermal underneath. His chuckle filled your ears as he leaned his head forward, planting a soft kiss on your lips.

“Are you sure?” He mumbled your name against your lips. “Do you need to rest or anything?” You watched as his eyes switched back and forth between yours, making sure that you were okay. You imagined that he still thought of you as fragile, scared to hold you the wrong way or else you would break. You knew he was trying to be considerate, knowing that it was an eventful day and you were probably drained. You should get some rest, that still being a big part of your recovery.

You had other plans though.

“I’m fine, baby.” You smiled up at him. “I promise.”

Flip looked at you for a moment before sitting up on his knees, shedding his many layers that you were working on. You couldn’t help but smile to yourself, knowing you were getting what you wanted.

When he threw his flannel and thermal on the ground, he leaned over you again. He hummed to himself as one of his hands was tracing your side up and down, lifting your sweater up bit by bit. You could feel heat spreading across your body as his hand now made contact with your skin.

You lifted your hands against his bare chest, feeling how warm he was. Your eyes fluttered shut, trying to take advantage of this moment. As you ran your hands up and down his chest, you could hear him humming down at you again.

Flip was slow as he leaned his head forward, now leaving soft kisses along your jawline. You lifted your head up, giving him more room as you bit down on your lip. You could feel that familiar aching in your lower abdomen as he slipped his hand under your sweater. His large hand snaked across your tummy and up towards your chest. He broke the kiss again as he sat on his knees again.

“Take this off, baby.” He whispered softly over to you.

You took a deep breath as you sat up, Flip already helping you take your sweater off. As your skin hit the cool air of the room, he was quick to lay you back down. He pressed his chest against yours, warming you up. His lips found your neck now, leaving soft and precise kisses against your skin.

Flip couldn’t help but buck his hips against you, a soft grunt leaving his throat. The pressure in his jeans revealed to you that he missed you just as much as you did him. You wrapped your arms around him, snaking one of your hands through his hair. A moan slipped past your lips as he started to nibble against your skin.

His hand was now tracing your curves until his hand slid up towards your breasts. You arched your back as he pulled down your bra, his kisses trailing down your chest. You could feel your nipples pebbling not only because of the cool air, but the excitement of being with him again.

You let another moan slip past your lips as his tongue started to swirl around your nipple. You arched your back a little more, desperate for more of him. You moved your hands away from him, struggling to snake them behind you now. Another chuckle from him as he felt you shift underneath him. It was a fight, but you managed to unhook your bra, a smile spreading across your face in celebration.

Flip’s hand reached for your bra, tossing it across the room now. The cool air hit against your nipple as he lifted his head, moving over to your other breast. You took a shaky breath in as your hands were now tugging on your own leggings. It was embarrassing how impatient you were, ready to feel his skin touching yours.

Flip once again lifted his head, tsk-ing over at you. He shook his head over to you as he climbed off the bed, standing on his feet. You twisted your face with confusion as you sat up on your elbows. You opened your mouth to question him, but when his fingers wrapped around the waistband of your leggings, you shut your mouth again.

You licked your lips as you watched Flip tug your leggings down, bringing your panties along with it. You watched as he licked his lips as he revealed your glistening folds to him. He carefully peeled them past your feet, letting them drop to the floor when he was successful in his task. He stood there for a moment before reaching over, placing his hand over your shoulder.

He licked his lips down at you again as he lowered your back towards the mattress. You squeezed your eyes shut as you felt him settling in between your legs. He hummed to himself as he buried his face in between your legs, swiping his tongue past your folds.

“ _Fuck_!” you hissed through your teeth as his tongue started swirling around your clit. Your hands shot to his head, intertwining your fingers through his hair. You couldn’t help but roll your eyes to the back of your head as you arched your back. Flip was humming against you, causing vibrations to hit against your clit.

You pet his hair as you moaned his name over and over. It felt like the first time you were together, feeling that spark you haven’t had in so long. It had been months since you’ve been with him like this and he still remembered your body. He continued to swirl his tongue around as both of his arms wrapped around your legs. You couldn’t help but gasp as he pulled you closer to him, sliding you down the bed.

He loosened his hold on one of your legs, sliding his hand down to your ankle. He guided your leg around him, resting it against his back as he circled his tongue faster. His name was pouring out of your mouth as you softly pulled on his hair, causing him to moan against your cunt.

You moved your hips against his tongue, gathering the friction you sought. This caused his nose to rub against your bundle of nerves. You wrapped the leg that was around him tighter, keeping him there as you continued to ride his tongue. You were embarrassed that you were already so close, remembering how good his touch felt against you.

“F-Flip.” You stuttered his name, softly gasping as he hummed against your folds. Your chest heaved with your deep breaths, trying your hardest to stay grounded. You wanted to tell him, you really did. When he pushed his fingers past your entrance, you couldn’t form words.

You moaned louder, holding onto him tighter as he swiped his tongue back and forth. His fingers mirrored his tongue, causing the muscles in your legs to start shaking. You squeezed your eyes shut as you whimpered his name again, hoping this time would get his attention.

“P-Please.” You tugged on his hair again. You didn’t want to cum just yet, but you didn’t want him to stop. As long as he was with you, there wasn’t anything else you cared about. It’s been so long since you felt like this…so long since Flip touched you like this. You wanted to remember this moment. You wanted to stay in this room forever, shutting out the rest of the world.

You could feel yourself getting closer and closer, you could taste it…until his hand and tongue were ripped away from you. You took a shaky breath in as your leg fell off of him, leaning your head back against the mattress. You were catching your breath as Flip hovered over you, hands on either side of your head.

You opened your eyes to see that he was staring down at you, licking his lips. You couldn’t help but moan at the sight of this, your hands now reaching for his jeans. Flip blinked down at you as you were now unzipping his jeans, peeling back the waistband of his briefs. You were so close. You managed to snake your hand in, about to grab his length. That was until he whispered your name, wrapping his hand around your wrist. He stopped you right before you could wrap your fingers around him.

“I wanna do you…” You trailed off, embarrassment washing over you again. You hated that you were pouting your lips at him, annoyed that he wasn’t letting you do what you wanted.

“Shh…” He guided your hand out of his jeans and above your head. He left a gentle kiss around your wrist when he released his hold on you.

Those big brown eyes stared down at you before he pressed his lips against yours. He was soft as he slid his tongue into your mouth, letting you get a full taste of your bitterness. You moaned against his lips as you felt him shimmying out of his jeans, letting them drop to the floor. Flip broke the kiss as he started to kiss down your neck.

“I love you.” His voice was shaky as he continued to leave gentle kisses against your skin. “I missed you so much, baby.” He was now kissing around your necklace, leaving a soft kiss against the charm.

“I love you so much.” You wrapped your arms around him, pulling him closer to you. You couldn’t help but feel that stinging in your eyes as he whispered your name.

All those nights he spent next to you in the hospital bed weren’t anything compared to this. You two were finally in your home together. All the stress you underwent seemed like it washed away. Even if it was just at this moment, you couldn’t complain. You knew he was the only one that made you happy. The only one that made you feel safe. The only reason to fight for your life…

“I love you.” You rubbed your hand up and down his back as you repeated this back to him. Flip lifted his head up with this, looking over to you. You could see a smile starting to form on his lips as he chuckled down at you.

“What?” You tilted your head, furrowing your eyebrows at him. “What’s so funny?” You pouted again. He shook his head down at you as his smile grew bigger.

“Nothing…” He trailed off, planting a quick peck on your lips. “Just hearing you say it back…” He shook his head again, almost like he couldn’t believe it.

“I love you.” You smiled up at him, snaking your hand to the back of his head. You intertwined your fingers through his hair, pushing his head towards yours. He was quick to slide his tongue into your mouth as he kissed you.

His large hand grabbed behind your knee, lifting your leg. You deepened the kiss as he released your leg, trusting you to keep it up. He grunted into your mouth as he guided his length to your entrance, slowly pushing through your folds.

Your mouth hung open, breaking the kiss as he sunk himself into you. He was slow as he pushed himself all the way through, making sure you were okay. You squeezed your eyes shut as you whimpered around him, feeling his stares.

“Baby...” You moaned, softly tugging at his hair. You hoped this was enough reassurance for him to keep going, desperate for more of him.

His hips started slow, dipping his head into the crook of your neck. His grunt echoed as you lifted your leg higher, causing him to rub against your ridges. He would kiss your shoulder every so often, his hand running down your arm. When he managed to interlock his fingers with yours, he raised your hand above your head. A grunt ripped through his throat as he snapped his hips, picking up the pace of his rhythm.

“My girl..” He mumbled against your skin. This caused you to moan his name loudly as you arched your back, pressing your breasts against him. Another grunt poured out of his mouth, squeezing your hand tighter.

“ _Fuck_ , baby.” He softly bit down on your shoulder, sending chills across your body. He was quick to raise his head, pressing his lips against yours as you started to hear the bed frame hitting against the wall. This seemed to drive him crazy, snapping his hips a little harder. You could tell he was hesitant, making sure he wasn’t being too rough with you. You would catch him taking little glances at you, making sure you were okay.

“F-Flip..” You whimpered, feeling your legs starting to shake again. This caused him to let go of your hand, now grabbing at your waist. He was guiding his thrusts as he moaned your name over and over again.

You could hear a mixture of your name and profanities being spit out of his mouth as he lifted himself to his knees. You watched as he bit down on his lower lip, looking down at his cock and how it worked on you. He was in a daze, his face turning red with his grunts.

A loud moan dripped out of your mouth as his hand loosened around your waist. You could feel him tracing up your chest, leaving a trail of goosebumps behind. You could feel his hand move past your breasts and softly pet your neck. For a moment you thought he was going to wrap his fingers tightly around your throat like he used to do. This was different, though. You could feel his fingers graze against your skin as he now lifted his hand to your face. He softly placed his palm against your cheek, caressing his thumb back and forth.

You fluttered your eyes to catch his gaze, leaning into his touch. You couldn’t help but place your hands around his arms, closing your eyes to his gentle touch. Your ears were being filled by the sounds of your skin slapping together, along with his deep voice whispering your name. You hummed to yourself as you felt his other hand around the back of your knee. He lifted your leg, making it wrap around his waist.

“Flip..” You continued to hum, whimpering as his gentle thrusts continued. You licked your lips, squeezing your eyes tighter as you were in deep thought. All the times you were with Flip before weren’t like this.

He not only held you gently, but he held you close to him. He already went through so much time without you, not wanting to spend another second apart. You continued to caress his arm, not wanting him to let you go. He stuttered your name through a grunt, wanting you to look up at him. When you obliged and fluttered your eyes open, you noticed he was staring down at you. He leaned forward as his hips continued to snap against you.

“I love you..” He trailed off, now pressing his lips against yours. You lifted your head to him, kissing him deeply as you swiped your tongue over his mouth. He grunted as he intertwined his fingers through your hair, holding you in place. You moaned loudly against his lips as his hips picked up speed. You could hear the bed frame hitting against the wall again, making you squeeze your eyes shut.

You could feel Flip’s hands working over your entire body. It was your main focus, barely noticing he was now lifting your leg above his shoulder. Your mouth hung open as you whimpered, feeling him rub against your ridges at a different angle. When he was happy with your leg placement, he ran his hand down your leg. This caused your skin to catch on fire behind his trail. You couldn’t control the moans shouting from your mouth until you slapped your hand over your lips.

“It’s okay, baby.” He muttered over to you, hands now working on your full breasts. He was kneading them gently, careful not to press too hard into your chest. He snapped his hips again, getting your attention as you shot your eyes up at him.

“Let it out..” He grunted your name. His deep voice was hungry for you, knowing it’s been a long time since you two were able to feel each other like this.

“Let everyone know you’re here.” He leaned forward, stretching your leg out. This caused you to scream, your hand still muffling it. “That I’m making you feel like this.” He hissed through his teeth.

His hand moved down your curvy waist, gripping your hips. He guided his thrusts into you as he let out another grunt. You fluttered your eyes up at him, feeling that familiar build up in your lower abdomen. You took a shaky breath in before you slid your hand off of your mouth, letting your screams fill the room around you.

“That’s it, baby.” He leaned his head forward, kissing around your collarbone again. Goosebumps spread across your skin as another scream left your mouth. You arched your back when you felt his fingers crawling towards your folds. He was quick to find your clit, drawing fast and tight circles.

“Flip!” You shouted as your body twitched with each swirl his thumb took. You folded over, letting your leg fall off of his shoulder.

“My baby...” He whispered over to you, causing your eyes to squeeze shut. You were approaching your end fast, your legs starting to twitch. He didn’t let up on your clit, moaning your name against your skin, kissing around your necklace again.

Just at that moment you felt something wash over you. You felt like you belonged. You felt like this was where you were supposed to be. The person next to you was the one for you, knowing that he was it. You loved him so much, no matter what you two went through tonight. It was obvious that you two loved each other, but now there was no doubt about it. You knew that he was the one…the person you wanted to spend the rest of your life with.

You moaned over and over that you loved him, pulling him closer to you. You couldn’t stand the space between you two as he continued to snap his hips against you. You lifted his head from your neck, pressing your lips against his. You weren’t shy in the kiss, sliding your tongue against his. He grunted against your lips as his thumb danced circles around your clit, causing you to twitch around him.

You could feel that sense of relief approaching, ignoring everything else in the world. It was just the two of you together and that’s all you focused on. He mumbled your name against your lips as his hips started to stutter. His thumb didn’t let up, though. His thumb quickened with speed, matching the rhythm of his hips.

“Flip!” You broke the kiss, a mixture of screams and his name pouring out of your mouth. You could feel your entire body explode as you squeezed your eyes shut. You couldn’t hide the soft giggle that slipped past your lips as you leaned back against the mattress. Flip grunted a few times, hissing profanities down at you as his hips slowed down to a stop. You could feel his warm load filling you up, making you feel complete again.

He collapsed next to you as he took a few deep breaths, trying to calm himself down. You smiled to yourself as you hoisted yourself up, walking over to the bathroom. You shook your head to yourself as you cleaned yourself up. You were almost dumbfounded by how lucky you felt. You were back home and with the man you loved. How could anything get better than this?

When you opened the door to the bathroom, Flip was standing right there. He was quick to wrap his arms around you, planting a kiss on your forehead. He hummed to himself as he turned you around, switching places with you. It was his turn to get cleaned up as you walked back towards the bed. You were still smiling to yourself as you walked over to the pile of clothes on the floor. You kicked them around until you found the flannel pattern you missed so much.

You snaked your arms through his flannel, buttoning it around your body. You climbed back into bed, yawning as you felt the exhaustion hit you. You shut your eyes as you pulled the covers over you. When you heard footsteps leading into the room, you opened your eyes. You still felt a sense of panic, needing to make sure it was Flip. You took a deep breath as he settled into the bed with you.

He was quick to reach his arm out to you, scooting closer to you. You bit down on your lip when you felt his legs intertwine with yours. He whispered your name when he pressed his broad chest against you.

“Hm?” You hummed, raising your finger to his nose. You ran it up and down as you watched him clench his jaw. He took a deep breath before he opened his eyes to you, lifting his head. This caused you to move your hand away, resting it on his chest. You licked your lips as he stared over at you.

“I want you to know something…” He trailed off as he scooted a little more, closing the space between you two. He took a deep breath as he stared between your eyes, smiling over at you.

“What is it, baby?” You whispered over to him, chewing on the inside of your lip.

“I-…” He inhaled sharply, gathering the confidence he needed. “I just love you so much.” He looked down, biting down on his lip. This caused a smile to spread across your lips, lifting your hand to his face, caressing his cheek with your thumb.

“I love you too, baby.” You mumbled over to him, looking over his twenty-three freckles and moles. “Nothing will change that.” You hummed as he cuddled up next to you more. He reacted with a grin over his face, chuckling as he brought the covers over you two.

Even when you were drowning in your guilt, you were sure of one thing. You were sure of the one constant in your life. Knowing that you would never change the way you felt about him. He always knew how to make you feel safe or smile when you felt down. When you were fighting your inner demons, doubting everything in your life...there was one person you knew who didn’t feed into that.

The person you knew was the one for you, bringing nothing but happiness and love into your life.

Flip Zimmerman. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What did you guys think?


	37. Good girl

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah!! I'm so excited for you guys to read this!!! Enjoy fluffy Flip along with some praise kink ;) 
> 
> Enjoy,  
> Dal <3

Flip was in the kitchen, turning over scrambled eggs. He was humming to his favorite Led Zeppelin song that was playing on the radio sitting on the kitchen counter. You were still asleep as Flip was trying to surprise you in bed. It was your first homemade meal after the hospital and he wanted to make it special for you. 

It was starting to become the afternoon, almost 12 hours of sleep for you. Flip didn’t want to wake you up, but he figured you needed something to eat. You needed your energy for today, knowing you would have your first session with Dr. Stanford. He wanted to make sure you were prepared, not knowing himself what to expect. All he knew was that he would be right next to you, no matter what. He would be there for you, as long as you let him. 

He nodded his head along with the music as he turned over a few pieces of bacon. The sizzling in the pan screamed up at him as he walked over to the kitchen island, grabbing an orange from the fruit bowl. He swallowed the lump in his throat as he thought about the night before. 

Flip knew he wanted to continue with his promise of keeping his shit together. He was able to peel himself off of his living room floor and bring you home. He needed to stay strong for you, now more than ever. 

Last night, he broke that promise. 

He just couldn’t help the amount of guilt he had, not knowing where you two stood. He feared that you would have some sort of resentment towards him. Seeing him as being the reason you were taken in the first place. It came as a shock when you thanked him for protecting you after all this time. You didn’t see it as his fault at all, praising him for being the reason why you were alive. After everything that was said the night before, all he could focus on was one thing. 

You still loved him. 

Thinking about it now, Flip smiled like an idiot as he cut the orange in half. It was the reason why he felt butterflies in his tummy, thinking about the way you held onto him. You stressed to him that it wasn’t his fault, finally feeling that weight being lifted off of his shoulders. Everything was out in the open, now feeling like you two were stronger than ever. 

Flip finished setting your plate, carefully laying the bacon next to the eggs. The orange slices he cut added to the aroma as he set a glass of water on the tray, taking a step back. It reminded him of something you would do. Tilting your head, making sure it looked good enough before you set it out into the world. He hummed to himself as he nodded his head, deciding it was perfect for you. 

He cleared his throat, grabbing the tray from the island. He could hear the floorboards creaking underneath his feet with each step he took. He held his breath, making sure not to spill anything as he climbed the stairs.

When he reached the top of the stairs he noticed the bedroom door was cracked just enough for him to see you lying in bed. He couldn’t see much, other than the blanket almost swallowing you alive. He smiled to himself as he carefully kicked the door open, hearing your soft snores filling the room. The sunlight from the window lit up the room, a ray of sunshine perfectly hitting the bed. 

Flip was gentle as he set the tray on the bed, lifting his hand towards your head. He bit down on his lip as he carefully peeled back the covers. He chuckled to himself when your hair was covering your face, your breath moving some of it back and forth. 

“Baby?” Flip whispered, softly moving the hair out of your face. He felt bad for waking you up, seeing how peaceful you looked. You were finally getting some good sleep in your own bed and he didn’t want to take that away from you. 

“Hm..” You hummed. “Flip?” You muttered as you scoot closer to him. He continued to rub his hand back and forth over your hair as he looked down at you. You still had your eyes shut as you took a deep breath. He could tell you were trying to gather enough energy to get up, waking yourself up at your own pace. 

“It’s me, baby.” Flip moved his hand over to your back, caressing in circles. He watched as you fluttered your eyes open, turning your head to look at him. A soft smile spread across your lips as you stretched your arms out. Flip chuckled as he grabbed the tray, making sure you didn’t knock it over as you yawned. 

“You slept well, I take it?” He questioned, causing you to giggle. He watched as you sat up in bed, looking around the room. Your hand moved the remaining hair out of your face, humming to yourself. He watched as you chewed on the inside of your cheek, your eyes finally meeting his. 

“Everything alright?” Flip tilted his head over to you. You nodded your head over to him, a smile spreading across your face. Your eyes glanced over to the tray still in his hands, now twisting your face with confusion. 

“Oh..” Flip sat the tray perfectly in your lap. “I made you breakfast.” You looked over to him with a wrinkle in between your eyebrows. 

“Did you eat already?” You mumbled over, sleepiness still in your voice. Your eyes followed him as he adjusted himself on the bed, now sitting next to you. He crossed his feet at his ankles, turning his head over to you. 

“No.” He mumbled, wrapping his arm around your shoulders. He could feel you lean closer to him as your lips started to pout. This caused Flip to chuckle again, shaking his head over to you. “I’ll make myself something when you’re done.” He chuckled when you shook your head over to him. 

“Flip...” You laughed, looking down at the plate in front of you. “There’s no way I will finish all of this.” Flip followed your gaze, noticing how much food he really made for you. Oops. 

“Here...” you picked up a slice of bacon, handing it over to him. He looked between your gaze and the piece of food being presented to him. “We can share.” 

Flip stared at you for a few moments, wanting to argue with you. He wanted to make sure you had enough food, fueling you for your day. It wasn’t a big deal if he skipped a meal for a few hours. He was going to refuse until he saw the way you looked over to him. You licked your lips, hoping he would say yes.

He finally gave in, leaning his head over. He bit down on the piece of bacon, yanking it out from your hold. Your laugh filled his ears as you nuzzled up to him, leaning your head against his shoulder. 

Every so often, you would feed him some scrambled eggs, lifting the fork to his mouth. He thought it was cute the way you held your hand under the fork, ready to catch the pieces if they fell. 

That’s when Flip’s mind started to wander to the last time you two were at Charlie’s diner. Memories of that day flooded his memory. Specifically, Mary. Flip remembered you helping her when her blood sugar dropped. You were quick with your decisions, knowing exactly what you needed to do. When Mary was back to normal, he remembered her whispering in his ear. 

_ “You need to marry that girl…”  _

Flip thought a lot about that, especially during Thanksgiving. Seeing you around your family and playing with Evan…it sparked something in him that he didn’t expect. He never saw himself settling down with someone or even starting a family. If anyone asked him that a few years ago, he would laugh in their faces. After his last relationship, he had his mind made up. Love wasn’t real, soulmates were bullshit and he wasn’t going to fall for any of it anymore.

That was until he met you. 

You were throwing him off guard, giving him things that he didn’t think were real. It wasn’t long after he met you that he knew you were special. He knew whatever Mary whispered to him was going to happen one day with you, he just didn’t know when. 

Everything changed when you came back home. Things were different now. You two were stronger than ever, finally getting everything out in the open. He knew he wanted you in his life forever, he just didn’t know if he deserved it just yet. 

As you lifted an orange slice into his mouth, he made a decision. He was going to fight for you. He was going to prove to you that he deserved your love. One day he was going to ask you to marry him, making you his for the rest of your lives. He just needed to know that he earned that privilege. Even after you freed him from his guilt, he knew he needed to prove it not only to himself but to you. 

Flip was chewing on another orange slice you gave him when he looked over to you. You had your eyebrows furrowed as you were in deep thought. He could see that you were chewing on your bottom lip, giving him whatever left was on your plate. You lowered your hands, fiddling with your own fingers. You took a shaky breath in as you leaned your head against his shoulder again. 

“Finished?” Flip mumbled down, kissing you on your forehead. He watched as you nodded your head, taking a deep shaky breath in. 

“Everything okay?” Flip questioned, his hold around your shoulder getting tighter. He listened as you cleared your throat, now lifting one of your hands to his chest. Your fingers were now fidgeting with the t-shirt wrapped around his chest. 

“What is it, baby?” Flip started to caress your arm up and down, hoping to make you feel comfortable. He didn’t mean to pry, knowing he shouldn’t pressure you into talking. It was something Dr. Stanford told him. You were supposed to open up at your own speed. 

“I’m just a little nervous.” Your voice was low, fingers still twitching. Flip swallowed the lump in his throat, planting a soft kiss on your forehead again. He didn’t know what to do, so he just held onto you. 

“I’m seeing Dr. Stanford today for the first time…” You trailed off, taking a deep breath. You lifted your head as you looked up at him. He could sense your anxiety, feeling you shaking under his arm. 

“I just don’t know what to expect.” You bit down on your lip as you blinked up at him. Flip took a shaky breath in, thinking about what to say. He didn’t want to say something that would make you feel worse. 

“Well..” Flip took a deep breath. “It’s going to be hard in the beginning, but it’ll get easier with time.” He chewed on the inside of his cheek, hoping he was saying the right things. He watched as you nodded up at him. 

“And I’ll be there with you.” Flip licked his lips, not knowing if this would make you feel any better. He could feel you let out a breath, relieving the tension you were holding. You nodded your head up at him again, chewing on your bottom lip. 

“You won’t leave?” Your voice was low, embarrassed to be left alone without him. This caused Flip to shake his head down to you, furrowing his eyebrows. 

“Of course not.” Flip lifted his other hand to your cheek, caressing his thumb back and forth. He watched as a smile formed over your mouth, leaning your head against his shoulder again. You squeezed your eyes shut as you took a long breath in through your nose, comforted by his scent. 

“Thank you for breakfast.” Your voice was muffled as you turned your head, nuzzling your face into his side. Flip couldn’t stop the smile on his face as he wrapped his arm tighter around you. 

You two stayed in bed for a few more hours until it was time for your appointment. You and Flip would take turns dozing off in each other’s arms until the alarm on Flip’s watch went off. This was your cue to finally get out of bed, walking over to the bathroom. Flip kept his eyes on you, peeping through the door as you bent over. He could hear you turning over the handle, starting the water to the shower. Flip’s mind started to wander as he heard the running water. 

_ “You need to marry that girl…” _

He wasn’t going to lie to himself. He wanted to ask you that big question when you came back home, but he knew it wasn’t the proper time. Not only did he have to prove himself worthy of you, but you also had other stuff going on. You needed time for yourself, healing your wounds from all the time you were gone. There were things you went through that you haven’t shared with him, telling him that you needed time to recover. You meant too much to him. He wasn’t going to let you halt your recovery for him. You were more important to him than a big question that could wait for later. 

“Flip?” You called out to him from the shower, disrupting him from his thoughts. Flip was quick to jump out of bed, walking over to the bathroom. He could feel the humidity slapping across his face, watching as your silhouette swayed back and forth behind the shower curtain. 

“Yeah, baby?” He muttered, crossing his arms over his chest. He leaned against the wall, still staring at your outline. He was fixated on you, studying your every move. 

“Come on..” He watched your hand grab at the shower curtain, pulling it over to pop your head around. “Get in here.” You bit down on your lower lip, waiting for his response. He was of course, happy to oblige. 

You kept your eyes on him, watching as he stripped his clothes off. He dropped each item on the floor, walking over to the shower when he was done. He could see the smirk perched over your lips when he slid the curtain behind him, trapping the heat in with you and him. 

“Took you long enough.” You stepped to the side, letting the hot water wash over his skin. Flip shook his head over to you, wrapping his arms around you. He shut his eyes, letting the water pour over his face. He could feel your hands against his chest, rubbing up and down as he pulled you closer to him. 

You hummed to yourself as you stood on your tippy-toes, softly pressing your lips against his. Butterflies started to flutter around his tummy as he kissed you back, letting your tongue slide into his mouth. He couldn’t help but feel like putty when you moaned against his mouth, swirling your tongue around his. 

“Hm...” Flip hummed to himself. He had to summon up the courage to pull away from you, yanking his lips away from yours. When he looked down at you, he noticed the disappointed look all over your face. 

“We can’t be late…” Flip pulled you closer to him, causing your chest to press firmly against his. He knew you were  _ trying _ to distract him, not wanting to make your appointment.  _ Especially _ with the way you were licking your lips up at him. 

“Baby…” Flip shook his head down at you, failing at hiding his smile. “I know that look…” He tsk-ed down at you, causing you to playfully roll your eyes at him. 

“We can reschedule, can’t we?” You took a sharp breath in before you lowered one of your hands from his chest. He took a shaky breath in as he felt your hand sliding down his chest and stomach. Your hand crept lower and lower, causing Flip to forget what he was even saying. 

“I like staying home with you…” You trailed off, wrapping your hand around his now hardened length. His breath hitched, biting his lip down at you. He swallowed the lump in his throat as he looked down at you.

“Baby...” His mouth hung open as your hand started slowly working him back and forth. He licked his lips, shaking his head down at you. 

“Yes?” You bit your lip while smiling up at him, your hand keeping up with its pace. Flip took a deep breath before he wrapped his hand around your arm gently, stopping your hand’s mission. 

“Dirty girl.” Flip shook his head down at you, watching as a smirk formed over your lips. “We can’t get distracted…” Flip moved your hand away, lifting it back up to his chest. You rolled your eyes again as you bent over, grabbing the shampoo bottle.

“I almost had you too.” Your laugh echoed against the tile and you squeezed a dollop into Flip’s hand, holding it out to you. He watched as your eyes fluttered shut as he massaged the shampoo in your hair. 

“You did.” Flip chuckled over to you, his fingers still massaging your scalp. He studied your face as you bit down on your lower lip. When you finally fluttered your eyes open, you swallowed the lump in your throat as you squeezed the shampoo bottle in your hands now. 

“Come here, please.” You smirked up at him. “You’re too tall for me.” You lifted your hands to his wet hair. Flip leaning his head over, feeling your fingers intertwining with his hair. His eyes immediately shut, feeling chills forming over his entire body. 

He wanted nothing more than to stay home with you, never getting out from under the covers. Rolling around in bed with you sounded like a hell of a lot more fun than sitting at a doctor’s office for an hour. He knew that’s what you wanted the most, but it wasn’t for the best. Seeing Dr. Stanford would benefit you in the long run, knowing this was one of the ways he could prove himself worthy of you one day. He was going to do what was best for you, even if you couldn’t see it right now. 

“What if we invite Ron and Jen for dinner later?” Flip fluttered his eyes open, noticing your focus on his hair. He felt your fingers stop circling while you thought about his question. 

“Yeah.” You nodded up to him, a soft smile on your face. “That sounds good…now rinse.” Your voice lingered in his ears as you lowered your hands to his chest again. Flip tilted his head back, letting the water wash away the suds in his hair. He unwrapped his arms around you for a moment, lifting his hands to his hair. When he was done, he switched places with you. He watched as you rinsed the shampoo from your hair, humming to yourself as Flip wrapped his arms around your waist again. 

There weren’t any more distractions to keep you two sidetracked anymore. Flip could tell you were still nervous. He saw it during the rest of the shower, when you two got dressed and as you leaned against him in his truck. You rested your head against his shoulder when he wrapped his arm around you. 

You kept your eyes shut during most of the drive, snuggling up to him. When he put his truck into park, it took you a moment before you lifted your head from his shoulder. You looked around the parking lot. He could tell you were trying to familiarize yourself with the place, knowing you were going to be coming here quite often for a while. 

“What if I can’t do it?” Your voice was low as you looked over at him. You blinked over to him before you looked down at your fidgeting hands. You were playing with the end of your shirt, trying to work off some of your anxiety. 

“What do you mean, baby?” Flip muttered over to you, tilting your chin up with his finger. You were now chewing on your bottom lip, staring into his brown eyes. 

“What if I can’t talk to her?” You took a shaky breath in, biting down on your lower lip when it started to tremble. 

“Hey, hey…” Flip rested his hand against your cheek, rubbing his thumb back and forth. “It’s okay, baby.” He planted a soft kiss over your lips before he stared between both of your eyes. 

“You’re going to do great,” Flip whispered over to you. “It’s okay if you don’t open up today.” Flip nodded his head over to you. He could see you nodding your head, taking a deep breath. He could tell you were holding back tears. 

“Just get to know her, get comfortable…” Flip furrowed his eyebrows over to you, giving you a moment to yourself. You were taking a few deep breaths, calming yourself down. 

“Okay.” Your voice was low as you nodded your head. Flip planted another kiss on your lips, leaning his forehead against yours. You took a final shaky breath in as you squeezed your eyes shut, pulling him closer to you. 

“You’re going to do great, okay?” Flip mumbled over to you, causing you to nod your head against him. 

“Thank you.” You took another shaky breath in as you scooted a little closer to him. “I don’t know what I would do without you…” 

Your words were on repeat in his mind as he sat in the waiting room for you. His leg couldn’t stop bouncing. He was anxious the moment they called your name, pulling you away from him as you walked past the threshold. 

Flip was sitting alongside a handful of other people in the waiting room. He noticed a few of them were just as anxious as he was. He couldn’t decide if their situation was like his, dropping someone off or if they were a patient themselves. 

He knew you were nervous about coming, which made him nervous too. He had no idea what you were going through, hoping that talking to Dr. Stanford would shed some light for you. He knew it was going to be awkward at first, talking about your darkest secrets to a complete stranger. He also knew it made you so much stronger than him…

He couldn’t stop chewing on his lower lip, watching as the time went by. He tried keeping himself busy, going through every magazine in front of him. He shuffled them around on the table, organizing them when he couldn’t focus on what the words were saying. The only thing preoccupying his mind was you. 

How were you doing? Was Dr. Stanford going easy on you for the first session? He hoped and even prayed that she encouraged baby steps, not knowing if you could handle going through everything just yet. Flip just felt so helpless out here. He felt like he needed to be actively doing something to help you feel better. He wanted to take the pain away from you, knowing you didn’t deserve to feel any of it. 

It was embarrassing how fast he whipped his head when that door opened, hoping to see you walking back over to him. It was amazing how such a little piece of wood could stand so heavily in between you two. Flip couldn’t stand it. He hated not being around you, even if you were only a few feet away. He couldn’t help but feel some sort of disappointment when he didn’t see you, every damn time that door opened.

He had so much extra energy, antsy that you were still in there. Anxiously tapping his fingers against his knee, matching the ticking on the clock. He felt like he was sitting there for hours, watching as everyone else in the waiting room walked out. It was just him, causing his impatience to double. 

“Are you Flip?” A voice broke his anxious thoughts when the door opened, causing him to once again whip his head. It was a woman in black scrubs, holding the door open. She blinked over to him, waiting for his response. 

“That’s me.” Flip stood from his seat, feeling his heart drop. His mind went over all the possibilities of why they were looking for him. 

“Dr. Stanford wanted me to grab you.” The woman waved her hand over to him, gesturing for him to follow her. Flip was quick to walk behind her, the sound of the door closing growing further away. 

Flip clenched his jaw as he turned a few corners behind the woman. He noticed the walls, covered with various pictures and paintings, trying to distract his mind until he reached the end of the hall. He took a deep breath in when the woman led him to a door with Dr. Stanford’s name hung across the frame. 

“You can go right in.” The woman flashed him a soft smile before walking away. Flip took a shaky breath in before reaching for the door handle. He felt his stomach in knots, not knowing what he was walking into. 

“Ah, Flip.” Dr. Stanford’s voice was the first thing he heard when he pushed the door open. She stood from her chair, walking over to him. His eyes immediately scanned the room, finding you sitting on the couch that was against the wall. Flip could see that you sat up a little straighter at the sight of him. 

“Uh,” Flip cleared his throat, walking over to Dr. Stanford. “Hello.” He held his hand out, shaking hers. He nodded his head over to her when she spoke your name. 

“She informed me that you were here and I wanted to say hi.” She smiled over to him. “I thought you would like to know how our first session went.” She tilted her head over to him. 

“Uh, that would be great.” Flip nodded his head, walking over to you when he lowered his hand to his side. “Hey, baby.” He whispered over to you, taking the seat next to you. He was quick to place his hand on your lower back, scooting closer to you. 

“The first session is usually the hardest.” She rolled her chair over, taking a seat in front of Flip. “Establishing rapport and breaking the ice is always…awkward.” She gave a reassuring nod over to you before looking over to Flip again. 

“She was telling me that she was nervous…” She trailed off, tilting her head at him. “Even wanted to miss her appointment.” Flip watched as Dr. Stanford leaned back in her chair, crossing her legs. Flip saw you lower your head out of the corner of his eye, embarrassed that she was repeating this back to him. 

“She also told me that you helped her, giving her the push that she needed to come.” Her tone was gentle, trying her best to sound non-threatening. 

“She did really well today.” Dr. Stanford smiled over to you, causing you to lift your head back up. Flip turned his head over to you, watching as a smile formed over your lips. 

Your smile seemed to stay there during the ride home. You were back under his arm, humming to yourself. Seeing you this happy rubbed off on him, kissing the top of your head at every red light he stopped at. 

“I’m proud of you, baby.” Flip would mutter into your hair, kissing your head softly before he started to drive again. You could scoot closer, smiling up at him as he drove around the neighborhood. 

“I texted Jen.” You mumbled over to him as he pulled onto your street. “She insisted on bringing food to us.” Your giggle filled his ears as he pulled into the driveway. He could tell you were excited to go back inside, sitting up in your seat. He took a moment to watch you as you unbuckled your seatbelt, grabbing the door handle. He held back a laugh as you looked over to him, wondering why he wasn’t following you. 

You playfully rolled your eyes over to him when you saw him biting down on his lip, trying to hide his smile. That was your cue to open your door, walking towards the front door. Flip was quick to follow behind you, not wanting space between you two. 

He locked the door behind him, following you into the kitchen. You were sipping on a glass of water, leaning against the counter. You kept your eyes on him, following him as he stepped closer to you. You lowered the glass from your mouth, setting the glass down behind you. Flip licked his lips as he wrapped his arms around your waist, pulling you against his chest. 

“You did so well, baby.” Flip hummed down to you. You intertwined your fingers behind his neck, smiling up at him. He noticed your eyes switch over to his lips, licking your own. You swallowed the lump in your throat, still staring at his lips. This made him chuckle, leaning forward to press his lips against yours. 

You were quick to pull him closer to you, opening your mouth just enough for him to slide his tongue in. He could feel his lips buzzing as you hummed against him, arching your back. He could feel your breasts being pushed up against his chest, causing Flip to unwrap one of his hands from your waist. He rested his hand on the counter behind you, anchoring himself in place as he groaned against you. 

He couldn’t help but press his hips against yours, causing a symphony to spill out of your mouth. Your fingers intertwined with the ends of his hair, tugging on him softly. It was enough to break his lips from yours, leaving his mouth open. He fluttered his eyes open, looking down at your smirk. You were biting down on your lower lip, pulling his hair a little more. 

“Baby…” Flip muttered, staring down at you. He clenched his jaw as he bucked his hips, pressing his now hardened length against you. 

“Say it again.” You whispered over to him, letting go of the hold on his hair. With that, Flip looked down at you, licking his lips down at you. He looked between both of your eyes for a moment, thinking of what you were talking about. When he remembered, a smirk plastered all over his face. 

“You did good, baby.” Flip’s voice was low, watching as you bit down on your bottom lip. “Such a good girl…” He trailed off, feeling your fingers gripping his hair again. You were quick to push your lips against his, moaning as he slid his tongue into your mouth again. Flip hummed against your lips as he stepped closer to you, causing the counter to dig into your lower back. 

Flip felt something take over him, his hands working quickly on your jeans. He fiddled with the buttons and zipper, giving him enough room to peel the waistband of your panties off of your skin. He could feel chills forming against your skin as he slid his fingers down, plunging them into your folds. His fingers slid in easy, swirling around in your juices. 

Flip could feel one of your hands snaking to his chest, gripping the flannel pattern under your fist. You moaned loudly against his lips as his middle finger found your bundle of nerves. Your mouth hung open, breaking the kiss as he found a slow pace on your clit. He left soft kisses on your cheek, leaning closer to your ear. 

“My good girl.” He whispered against your ear, causing another moan to pour out of your mouth. He glanced down, seeing that your knuckles were turning pale from the tight grip you had on his shirt. He could hear you moaning his name as his fingers were dripping with your juices. 

“I’m so proud of you…you know that, right baby?” Flip mumbled in your ear again, leaving kisses along your jawline. He could feel you nodding your head softly, another moan filling the air in the kitchen. Flip continued to leave kisses against your skin, trailing down to your neck. 

“You did so good.” Flip hummed. “Say it.” His lips grazed your skin, sending shivers down your spine. His ears filled with your soft gasps, trying to form words. He lifted his head just enough for him to see your lips quivering, stuttering as you repeated his words back. 

“I-I did good.” Your voice was low, taking deep breaths as his finger continued. Flip was back to kissing your neck, feeling you shiver against him. Flip could feel you lean back, leaning against the counter now as he kissed down towards your collarbone. 

“I know you were scared.” Flip lifted his head, looking down at you as his finger circled faster. He watched as your eyes were squeezed shut, biting down on your lip. “You didn’t want to go.” He grunted under his breath, watching you melt under his hold. 

“But my baby is so strong…” He grunted again, watching your chest stutter trying to catch your breath. “Such a good girl…” Flip dipped his fingers lower, pushing them past your entrance. He rubbed against your ridges, hearing profanities spill out of your mouth. 

“F-Fuck…” Your voice trailed off as you moved both of your hands to his shirt. You tried to stay focused enough to unbutton his shirt, slowly revealing the thermal under his flannel. Flip felt his mouth water as he dipped another finger into you, causing you to moan loudly. He could hear your sounds echoing against the walls, reminding him of how delicious you sounded. 

“Flip!” You whined, tilting your head back as his lips worked on your other collarbone. He could feel you trembling against him, shockwaves of pleasure sending throughout your body. He chuckled at this, his other hand lifting up your shirt. His hand slid up your side, feeling goosebumps following his trail. 

“Take this off.” He hissed through his teeth, pressing his hips against you again. He didn’t know how much longer he could take, seeing you like this. He could feel you dripping onto his hand, listening to the sweet sounds coming out of your mouth. 

You were quick to loosen your hold on him, throwing your shirt onto the floor. He brought his lips back against your skin, kissing around your shoulders now. His hand slid around to your back, snapping apart the hooks of your bra. He could tell you liked that, moaning his name as you arched your back. 

You were gripping his thermal now, pulling him closer to you as your mouth hung open. He could hear soft gasps, your chest heaving as you were quickly losing yourself. Flip left a trail of kisses down to your breasts, feeling them bounce with each deep breath you took. A growl ripped through his throat as he swirled his tongue around your now hardened nipple. 

Flip was so focused on you, he barely felt your hands working at his jeans. Before he could react, he felt your hand sliding into his jeans. Your hand wrapped tightly around his length causing a grunt to vibrate around your breast. He tried to stay focused, keeping the pace of his hands while he flicked his tongue. He grunted against your skin, desperation off of your voice as you moaned his name. 

“Hm..” Flip hummed, lifting his head. You still had your eyes shut, twisting your face with pleasure. “My good girl…” He trailed off, slipping his fingers out of you. He could feel the wet trail he left behind on your skin as he dragged his fingers up your tummy and up into his mouth. 

When he started licking his fingers, that’s when your eyes fluttered open, taking a shaky breath in as you watched his mouth work on his own hand now. Your hand stuttered, distracted by the sight in front of you. He watched as you bit down on your lower lip, in a trance caused by the sucking sounds coming from his mouth. 

He could hear you whimpering from the sight, taking a slow breath in. He circled his tongue around his fingers, gathering all of your juices as they hit against his taste buds. He watched you shiver as he yanked his fingers out of his mouth, licking your lips. 

Flip clenched his jaw as he lifted his fingers to your mouth, tapping on your lips softly. You took a shaky breath in as you separated your lips, letting his fingers slid in. You shut your eyes again, sucking softly on his fingers. He imagined the mixture of him and your juices whirling around your mouth, causing his eyes to grow heavy with lust.

Right on cue, he could feel your hand moving back and forth on him. A grunt ripped through his throat, keeping his eyes on you. He felt your tongue softly swirl around his fingers, savoring the taste as much as you could. 

“Such a good girl.” Flip hissed through his teeth, wrapping his hand around your arm. He was gentle as he broke your hold around his length, lifting your hand out from his jeans. He watched as you shot your eyes open, his fingers still in your mouth. He pressed down on your tongue before you could start arguing. 

He could hear a few incoherent noises from your mouth, feeling your tongue fighting against him. This caused him to chuckle down at you, his other hand yanking your jeans down. It took him a few tugs, smirking as he finally got your jeans to rest around your ankles. 

“Turn around, baby,” Flip whispered over to you, slowly slipping his fingers out of your mouth. You were compliant, biting down on your lower lip as you faced the other way. Flip hummed to himself as his hands ran along your sides, causing a whimper to leave your mouth. You grabbed the counter in front of you, anticipating his next move. Flip licked his lips, watching you as you leaned forward, putting your ass on display. His hands slid across the small of your back, causing you to arch your back with his touch. 

“My good girl,” Flip repeated this to you, muttering his words as he bit down on his lip. He felt his teeth sink in as he led his length towards your entrance. He watched as your head dipped down, moaning as he pushed past your folds. He held back a grunt, listening to the music coming out of your mouth. 

“F-Flip...” You whispered, scratching at the counter in front of you. Flip clenched his jaw when he finished pushing through, letting you stretch around him. When you brought your hips back an inch, he took this as his cue to rock his hips. 

His rhythm was slow, hearing soft whimpers from your mouth. He swallowed the lump in his throat, grabbing at your hips. He held onto you tight, keeping you as close to him as he could. He shut his eyes, focusing on your moans and how delicious they sounded. Every so often you would suck in a breath, moaning his name, causing him to snap his hips against you. He found his slow rhythm again, snaking one of his hands towards your breast. 

“You did so good today, baby.” Flip hissed through his teeth, squeezing your breast under his hand. He used it almost like a handle, his hips moving a little faster. He squeezed his eyes shut, huffing a breath out from his nose. 

“Hm, baby.” You groaned, lifting your head back up. He could feel your hands reaching around him, scratching at his skin. This caused something to snap in him, thrusting his hips against you faster. He grunted when he heard his skin slapping against yours. 

He could hear your loud moans filling his ears as a grunt ripped through his throat. He lost control of himself, snapping his hips hard against you. The arm you had around him was quickly under his hold, pulling your arm back as he held you in place. He knew he should be more gentle with you, scared that he was going to hurt you. This caused him to slow the movement of his hips, loosening the hold around your arm until you whined. 

“No..” You muttered, shaking your head. Flip took a shaky breath in when he felt you moving your hips on your own. He looked down, watching your ass bounce against him. You were trying to find the fast rhythm he had before, loud moans pouring out of your mouth. 

Flip shook his head to himself, letting a chuckle slip past his lips. He grunted as he held onto your arm tighter, grabbing your other one now. He pulled your arms back as he snapped his hips against you, still watching your ass. 

“ _ Fuck! _ ” You hissed through your teeth, whimpering as you let your head fall back. Flip leaned his head over, kissing the side of your forehead softly as he whispered praises into your ear. 

“So good, baby.” He whispered against your ear, causing you to lick your lips. He watched your face twist with pleasure as he continued. 

“You like it when I tell you that?” Flip left soft kisses around your cheek, snapping his hips harder against you. “You like it when I tell you you’re my good girl, huh?” Flip smirked against your skin when you nodded your head. 

“Y-Yes.” You stuttered, another loud moan leaving your mouth. Flip hooked one of his arms behind both of your arms, keeping you in place. His free hand moved around your body, grabbing at your breast again. A grunt ripped through his throat as he held your full breast under his grip. 

“Will you still be my good girl later?” Flip grunted as your fingers scratched at his skin again. He squeezed his eyes shut as he focused on him rubbing against your ridges, clenching his jaw. He swore his face was turning red as his hair fell over his face, blocking most of his vision. He still saw you though. Even if it was only a little, staring at you past his dark locks. He could imagine you perfectly. He knew you and your body well. 

Especially when he loosened his grip on your breast, trailing his hand down your tummy. He could feel you whimper, anticipating his touch as he dipped his finger in between your legs. 

“Y-Yes!” You shouted as his finger made a direct beeline to your clit, swirling against it slowly. Your shouts filled his ears as you hunched over, moaning his name over and over again. 

He could feel your walls starting to clench, knowing you were approaching your high. He kept quiet from then on, listening to the symphony pouring out of your mouth. He circled his finger faster when his hips started to stutter, grinding his teeth together. He squeezed his eyes shut as you started to shout his name, hunching over the counter more. 

He could feel you pulsating around him, your nails digging into his skin. Profanities dripped from your mouth, your chest heaving as you were trying to catch your breath. He didn’t let up on your clit, though. He wanted to show you truly how proud he was of you, giving you everything he could give you. He wanted you to feel  _ everything _ , his fingers swirling fast over your little bundle of nerves. 

He was quickly losing himself too, especially hearing your moans. As you were coming down from your high, whimpering his name over and over, he could feel himself start to pour into you. He hissed through his teeth as he hunched over you, finally releasing your arms. This caused you to fall forward onto the counter with him hovering over you. He finished pouring himself into you as he took a couple of deep breaths.

He could still feel you whimpering under him, shockwaves still pulsing throughout your body. Flip grunted as he slipped himself out, standing up straight. He wrapped his hand around your arm, lifting you off the counter. You were slow as you turned around to face him, fluttering your eyes open. 

You took a deep breath, looking up at him as he wrapped his arms around your waist. Flip took one look at you before pressing his lips against yours, pulling you closer to him. He hummed against your lips, running his hand up and down your back. He could feel the smile on your lips as he kissed you. His lips curved with a smile, breaking the kiss as he leaned his forehead against yours. 

“My baby…” He hummed to himself, closing his eyes. He took a deep breath feeling the calmness around you two. He heard you sweetly sigh, lifting your hand to his face. You were gentle to rest your hand across his cheek, rubbing your thumb back and forth. 

“Baby?” You whispered, planting a soft kiss against his lips. Flip cocked his eyebrows up as he hummed in response. 

“We should get going, Ron and Jen will be here soon.” Your voice was low as you planted another kiss against his lips. This caused a smile to spread across his lips, fluttering his eyes open. You were looking down at his lips as your thumb continued to move back and forth. 

“Fine…” Flip smirked, unwrapping his arms from you. He watched you as you redressed, biting down on your lip as you focused on your task. You took another sip of your water as he finished up buttoning his flannel, crossing his arms across his chest. 

“I’m going to get cleaned up.” You mumbled before walking over to the stairs. He was quick to follow, climbing the stairs behind you. When you heard his footsteps following, you glanced behind you, smiling over at him. You furrowed your eyebrows, not expecting him to trail behind you. He just couldn’t leave your side. 

He stayed like that the rest of the night until after dinner. You and Jen were in the living room, talking about her assistant while Ron joined Flip in the kitchen. They were tag-teaming the cleaning, knowing that the girls needed time together. Flip was washing the dishes while Ron dried them. 

“Hey.” Ron grabbed the next plate from Flip, wiping it off with a towel. 

“Hm.” Flip hummed, scrubbing the next plate. 

“You said you needed a favor from me.” Ron tilted his head over to Flip, still wiping off the plate. Flip stopped what he was doing as he looked over to his friend, furrowing his eyebrows. It didn’t take him long to figure out what he was talking about, his mind quickly flooding with memories of Daniel Mitchell and his daughter, Daisy. 

“Yeah.” Flip took a quick breath in, going back to the plate in his hands. “Since I won’t be at work for a few weeks I need your help with something,” Flip mumbled, feeling a strand of hair hanging over his forehead, scrubbing a stubborn spot on the plate. 

“What’s up?” Ron questioned, putting up the plate in the cabinet in front of him. Flip was satisfied when he got the spot off, handing Ron a new plate to dry. 

“You know when the station needed money for new tactical gear a couple of years ago?” Flip glanced over to Ron, watching him nod his head. 

“Yeah, didn’t have enough in the budget,” Ron mumbled, setting the next dry plate in the cabinet. 

“Exactly.” Flip grabbed the last plate in the sink, wiping the sponge over it. “What did we do about it?” Flip questioned, rinsing the plate off. 

“We had a fundraiser?” Ron’s face twisted with confusion, not knowing where this was going. He grabbed the plate from Flip, repeating his steps with the towel. 

“Yes.” Flip squeezed the soap out of the sponge, setting it down next to the faucet. Flip tapped the faucet handle down, turning off the water. He turned his body to face Ron’s leaning his hip against the counter. 

“What about it?” Ron still looked confused, shutting the cabinet when all the plates were put up. He set the towel down on the counter in front of him, leaning his hip against the counter. He crossed his arms across his chest, staring back at Flip. 

“You helped Carly set that up, right?” Flip peeked his head over, seeing that you were still in the living room with Jen, laughing. 

“Yeah…” Ron trailed off, causing Flip to look back over to him. 

“Well..” Flip clenched his jaw, taking a deep breath. “I want you guys to do it again.” Flip swallowed the lump in his throat, feeling knots in his stomach. 

“For?” Ron shook his head, waiting for Flip to explain. 

Flip sighed, whispered your name. This caused Ron to take a step closer, furrowing his eyebrows again. Flip shook his head, licking his lips before he looked over to Ron again. 

“No, no…” Flip shook his head again. “She’s okay…we’re okay.” Flip watched as Ron nodded his head, a sigh of relief coming out of his mouth. 

“I was just thinking about her…she was sick, you know?” Flip shrugged his shoulders. “She got the help that she needed and she’s better. Back at home with us.” Flip held his hand out, gesturing towards the two. 

“Okay?” Ron nodded his head, waiting for Flip to continue. 

“Well…Daisy,” Flip mumbled, looking down at his feet. He focused on his cowboy boots, scared to look up at Ron. It was a few seconds of Ron thinking about that name. 

“Mitchell’s daughter?” Ron questioned, keeping his voice low. 

“Yeah.” Flip sighed, looking back up at Ron. “She needs chemo…” Flip trailed off, shaking his head to himself. He crossed his arms over his chest, tapping his fingers against his bicep. 

“Her mom can’t afford the treatments, not since Mitchell…well you know.” Flip cleared his throat. 

“You want to have a fundraiser for her treatments.” Ron nodded his head, finally understanding. 

“It was a thought.” Flip shook his head again, regretting the idea immediately. He stood up from the counter, about to walk away before Ron stopped him. 

“No.” Ron held his hand out. “It’s a good idea, man.” Ron’s voice was comforting, making Flip take a step back. He leaned his hip against the counter again. 

“Kronos made a mess of everyone’s lives…I just wanted to make it a little easier for them.” Flip whispered, not wanting to say that name too loud. You and Flip managed to have a good day and he didn’t want to ruin it. 

“You have a point…” Ron nodded his head, shining a reassuring smile over to Flip. “I’ll see what Carly and I can come up with.” They both nodded their head to each other before Ron uncrossed his arms, patting Flip on his shoulder. 

“Okay.” Flip nodded his head, grateful Ron was willing to help with the idea. “Let’s see what the girls are talking about.” Flip chuckled to himself before he followed Ron into the living room. 

Flip caught pieces of Jen complaining about her assistance Toby as he wrapped his arm around your shoulders. He sat close to you, his thigh snug against yours. He hummed to himself feeling content at that moment. 

You were back home and you were happy. The two things Flip wanted most in this world and he had it. You had a smile over your face, leaning against his chest. There was a moment in time where he didn’t think he would have this moment again. A time where he lied on the living room floor, scared that you would never make it back home to him. 

Not anymore. Now that you were here with him, he was never going to let you go. He was going to make sure no harm came to you again. He was going to do everything in his ability to keep you happy and safe. He was going to come through with what Mary whispered to him all those months ago. 

That’s when Flip made a new promise to himself. He was going to try to make you happy every day that he was with you. He was going to try his best to give you everything that you wanted and more, knowing that you deserved it all. 

He spent years not believing love was real or that it was meant for him. All of that down the drain when you were in his arms. He was never so sure of anything…Flip knew you were the one.  _ The _ one. 

The one he wanted to wake up next to for the rest of his life. The one he wanted to fight for. The one he wanted to clean and cook for when you came home from a rough day at work. The one he would try to woo every single day, reminding you of why you fell in love with him… 

It was his life’s mission. 

You were his life now.

  
  


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